Healing Her Wounds
by Raine Delmont
Summary: Bella never jumped. She never found out about Jacob. In fact, she married Mike Newton. Four years later, she finds herself in a abusive relationship with no way out. What will happen when Edward comes back to her? Can he save her? Will she let him? R&R!
1. Broken Reasons

**So, here's the basic idea. Edward left Bella, but she never jumped from the cliff. Edward never went to Italy. How has Bella's life changed? Will she ever see Edward again?**

**There is violence and abuse in the later chapters. Even a little in this chapter. You have been warned.**

**Disclaimer for the Story: The Twilight Series belongs to Stephenie Meyer.**

**---**

Bella

"You're no good for me, Bella," his words cleaved my heart in two, reminding me of my deepest fear. It was something I always knew, always had lurking in the back of my mind. I wasn't good enough for him. I was an imperfect, stupid little human who clung desperately to him and his love.

I shuddered away from him, pained against the realization that his cold, black eyes revealed nothing but the truth. He didn't want me. I sunk to the forest floor, kneeling at his feet. My head sunk into the comfort of my hands as I sobbed weakly, drained of life. "Please," I sobbed, my body quaking in pain, "Please, please... don't leave me. I love you. I need you. Please stay, please!"

I heard the crunching of fallen foliage as he sank to his knees in front of me. I didn't dare look up, continuing my mantra of sobbing and begging. My hands shot out, reaching for him longingly. With a rough intake of breath, he pulled me to his stone hard chest, enveloping me in his icy embrace. His scent encased me, drawing me into him as he pushed his face against my hair, no doubt breathing in my own scent. He pressed his lips to my head.

"Take care of yourself," his voice broke at the end as he mumbled into my hair. I inhaled sharply as he pulled away, trying to keep him here with me. By the time my eyes snapped open, he was gone. I heard a bizarre ripping noise and assumed that it must be my own body tearing itself apart. I couldn't care less... what good was it without him? Finally, I realized the ripping was my own strangled sobs tearing out of my throat.

"No! No, no, no!" the words ripped out of my throat in agonized howls. My hands tore at the ground, my skin breaking against the wooden twigs. The pain seared from the wounds, but I didn't care. In fact, I was happy for it. Maybe it would bring him back to me. Even if only to kill me... it would be better than this. I hoped. My screams continued, my hands bled. I cried out for him desperately, "Ed-..."

"-WARD!" I screamed his name, ripping at my soul as I spoke it for the first time in a year. The hole I had closed up flared in pain, my wounds opened and bled as I sobbed. I had awoken from my dream. The forest was gone and I was in my own bed, the covers twisted around my legs. The tears refused to cease, my body wracked with my sobs.

"Shut up, Bella!" an angry voice yelled beside me. Something hard connected with my left temple and I found myself momentarily airborne, thrown out of my bed. I toppled to the floor in a tangled mess of limbs, a sickening crack sounded as my head hit the wall. I laid there, whimpering, having waken from a terrible reality only to find out that I live in one even worse. A pillow was flung to the floor beside me.

"Stay there," the voice warned. A voice I had come to know far too well. My husband, Mike, rolled over and easily fell back into a slumber, his snores filing the room like they did every night. I pulled the pillow to my body, stuffing it against the wall to lean my head against it. I stared off into the dark, silent tears streaming from my eyes.

It had been four years since my 18th birthday. Four years since the day... he left. I forbid myself from thinking his name, terrified it would bring on a new fit of tears that would wake Mike again. Mike... oh, I had been a stupid girl. I had been broken, mended slowly, and then promptly broken once again. Once by... my true love. My only real love. Once again by Jacob.

A lump rose in my throat, threatening to bring with it a fury of tears that would inflict more pain than release. I choked back my sorrows as Jacob's name invaded my mind, ripping at the fresh, exposed wounds left over from the nightmare. Jacob... he was my best friend. I think I had even loved him, in a way. Perhaps not in a romantic way, but enough to at least numb the wounds that had been left, carved into my soul. I could have smiled with Jacob, even been happy given enough time.

So many things had changed after that night at the theaters. Mike had gone home sick and so had Jake. He had avoided my calls after that, dodging my completely. I had only seen him once more after that. He had been with a girl I had never seen before, locked in a passionate embrace. I had been standing out of hearing distance and yet Jacob had looked up at my when I gasped. He stared at me, his eyes wide with pity, and then her turned and walked away. The girl follow him.

I never went back to La Push, never called Jacob again. It was a mutual agreement between us never to talk again. I had been broken twice and Charlie watched in fear at the pain consumed me whole, forcing me back into the living dead state I had been in prior to Jacob's help. Charlie threatened to send my back to Renee, going as far as buying me a plan ticket. I realize now that this was my own breaking point.

I couldn't leave. Even if I wouldn't allow myself the luxury of his name for fear it'd break me, even if everything around me reminded me of him... I wouldn't leave. I feared that if I left Forks, my memories of him would fade and finally disappear. The only thing worse than the pain of remembering, would be forgetting him altogether. I wouldn't forget him. So, with that promise, I threw myself headfirst into one of the worst mistakes of my life.

I decided I no longer cared. I loved him. I had tried to love another, tried to move on as I knew he wanted me to. It didn't work and I had only succeeded in wounding myself further. So, I went to Forks High the next day prepared to belong to the next person that wanted me. To appease Charlie and secure my home in the one place I could never leave without him. I would lock away my heart, smile and pretend, praying that he would one day come back to me.

It came as no surprise to anyone that Mike was the first to try to win my heart. Unsuccessful, though he was, I started to see him and thus began my horrible charade. I pranced around like I was happy... I may even have appeared happy to those who didn't know me well enough. Anyone who bothered to look into my eyes would see how fake I was, how I had already died and buried myself inside this shell of a body. He was never coming back and neither was I.

I went to the prom in my ungraceful shell and lost myself to Mike later that night. I don't even know if it was consensual sex, in my state of mind, although my choice couldn't have mattered less to Mike. I was exotic when he wanted me and too familiar now that he had me. We moved in together, the first of our many mistakes. We worked in his parents' store; he was following his dream and I was raising money.

I still dreamed of college, since every other dream I had was now a broken ruin. I had a goal to work towards and my mind finally began to wake up and realize the place I had put myself. I had attached myself to a man I never loved, and hardly liked. I had lost everything familiar and he had never returned to Forks. My depression became evident and I began to see, for the first time, a side to Mike I never knew he had.

I never expected Mike to be a violent person, but he was yet another man to surprise me. It was light attack at first. Forceful hand grabs that left bruises across my knuckles, hair pulling that left my scalp aching whenever I wore a ponytail. At first I wrote it off... he simply grabbed my hand too hard, or playfully pulled on my ponytail a bit too roughly. It took a while, but as it became consistent, I realized I was being abused.

The real violence began when the dreams started. Every night that I woke up screaming, he would know why. He knew who I really loved, who I would always love, and he began to hate me for it. He would often strike me across the face and knock me off the bed, much like he had done tonight. Those were the good nights. The nights he didn't follow me to the ground, punching and kicking until I was nothing but a broken, whimpering bloody mess of the floor.

The sun was rising now, peeking through the window and shining the light on me. I stood, my legs wobbling beneath me as I took a few shaky steps to the mirror. I examined the damage, running my fingers gingerly along the cut beneath my eye, no doubt caused by his nails. It was an angry red, stark on my already puffy face, the result of my lack of sleep and the bruises I had earned. I barely heard the squeak of the bed and the sleepy groan behind me, "Damn..."

I turned around to meet Mike's critical gaze, dropping my hand from my face and holding it behind my back. I tried not to stare at him with pained eyes, but how was that possible after so many years? He glowered at me, running a hand through his messy hair as he slumped over the side of the bed, slowly standing to his feet. He walked closer to me, mumbling, "You look like shit, babe. You're staying home. I'll tell them you're sick."

"I already missed work last week, Mike, I can't miss it again..." I began, but quickly silenced myself at the look that twisted his features. The same mask of hate that tore his normally kind face whenever I spoke back.

I barely had time to cringe before his hand came flying at my face, knocking me into the wall next to the mirror. I winced at the doorknob of the closet jabbed into my side, sinking to the floor in a quick defeat. I whimpered, my hand reaching up instinctively to comfort the new injury. He stared down at me, regret in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered. He always did that. As if those words would steal the pain away. He touched his fingers to the top of my head, brushing at my hair. I would have flinched away, but I knew better by now. "You know I hate hurting you. Don't make me give you a real reason to miss work."

I gulped. His voice was kind, but his words held an obvious threat. I sat on the floor, my head pressed against the closet door behind me. He talked to me as he dressed for work, his words coming in a jumbled mess of mumbles. I could hardly hear over the ringing that sang through my head, screaming against the pain he had caused. I barely noticed when Mike had left the room and then finally, the house.

Why did I put up with him? Why didn't I just take my money and run back to Charlie? I could leave this place forever, or even find my own place to live. There were a million other things I could do other than sit here and deal with this day after day. So why didn't I leave? I must have asked myself that a dozen times... I knew the answer. Why did I stay?

"Mommy!"

That's why.

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	2. Returning to Her

**Well, this is the second chapter. Hooray! It is from Edward's perspective. Is he getting ready to see Bella once again? Read and find out!**

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Edward

"Bella..." the word rolled off my tongue, like music to my ears. My already chilled breath frosted against the glass window I was leaning on. I stared out over the wide expanse of land, wishing for nothing else but her. Her name brought pain to my heart, but I endured it. I was the one who decided to do this. I was the one who decided to keep her safe. Safe from my kind... safe from me...

"Go to her," Alice whispered from the doorway. She had made a wonderful habit of blocking her thoughts from me. So much that I barely heard her enter the room. Perhaps I didn't bother to listen to anyone anymore. There was no need for my talent when the only mind I wanted to hear was the only one I would never hear.

"I can't," I growled from my space by the window, my gaze never leaving the glass. My eyes darted to hers, staring at her through the medium of the reflection. Her face was twisted in anger and disappointment, as if her mind didn't already reveal all of that.

_Edward... you're being a fool. It's been four years. At least go check on her. Maybe she's not happy. Maybe she's just as miserable as you are._

"And maybe she's moved on," I countered, finally turning to face Alice. Her reflection in the glass did her anger no justice. Her eyes were pitch black, sparkling with fury. She shook her head, stepping closer to me now that I had acknowledged her.

"I've listened to you, Edward. I haven't watched her at all in my visions," Alice began, as she always had whenever she brought up this subject, "But despite that, I don't think Bella is happy. In fact, I would put money on the fact that she is just as miserable as you are."

I glowered at her for a long moment before turning away, ignoring her reflection and staring out into the dark night ahead of me. She let out a soft hiss of frustration, growling as she walked over to my side and took a seat next to the window. I felt her eyes on me. I didn't care.

_Edward! Please, just go to her. Just once. You don't even have to talk to her. Just go to Forks and see if she's all right. For goodness sake, see if she's even there anymore! What is so wrong with checking on her, Edward?_

"Because I won't have the strength to come back!" I roared, my eyes lit with fury as I turned to look at her. She cringed away, although her thoughts didn't falter. I growled at her, my eyes slowly turning back to glare at the landscape, "You don't understand. I have a hard enough time staying here. If I went there... if I saw her... happy or not, I wouldn't be able to leave."

"You left once, you could do it ag-..."

"No," I cut her off quickly knowing her words before she could finish them. I shook my head slowly, keeping my attention on the window. My eyes were still too harsh to look at her. I sighed, "I'm already breaking. I know myself, Alice. I couldn't do it again. I couldn't leave again."

"What if she's dead?" Alice whispered reluctantly.

I opened my mouth, my eyes flickering to her. Did she know something I didn't? Remembering her promise, I shut my mouth again. Bella, dead? She couldn't be dead... she had promised she would stay safe for me. Bella was safe. Bella was happy. She had to be happy. "Bella's not dead."

"And if she's miserable?" Alice continued.

"She would be even more miserable if I came back," I answered, knowing that it was a pitiful response. It was completely untrue and I knew it.

"Please," Alice scoffed, "You know that's a lie. Bella would be thrilled if you came back. We would all be thrilled if you went back to her."

"It's dangerous," I used my typical counter.

"It's Bella," Alice mumbled, "You're damn lucky that she hasn't died yet. How many times did you have to save her, Edward? You think her bad luck is going to magically stop? She's going to be graceful? She's safer with us."

I shook my head slowly before leaning it against the cool glass of the window. Well, cool to a human at least. It was warm to my head. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out slowly even though I didn't need to. Alice was breaking my resolve... and with her damn psychic powers, she probably knew the outcome of this conversation.

I felt a wave of reasoning flow through the room and looked up to see Jasper standing in the doorway. I growled at his attempts, "Have you come to team up on me?"

Jasper grinned apologetically, but his answer was clear. He would do anything for Alice. Just like I would do anything for Bella. I glared at him wordlessly before turning back to the window once again.

"We're right, you know," Alice trudged on, "They all agree... even Rosalie, to some extent. You haven't been yourself, Edward. We're finally living in a house together again, but it's like you're barely here."

"I can leave again," I offered bluntly. Alice flinched and I regretted my outburst immediately, "I'm sorry."

"It's hurting Esme, Edward," Alice's voice was coming in whispers now, "It's hurting all of us. Jasper can feel your pain. It's as though you've died, Edward... Bella was your life. I know that you were her life. Her love."

"Please, Edward," Jasper continued as Alice's voice broke off. I looked up reluctantly to see the pain in my sister's eyes. Bella was her best friend. She meant very much to her. She loved her almost as much as I did. "Just go check on her. If she's miserable... well, you'll know you were wrong. You can stay with her. If she's happy... you can do what you want. We won't bring it up again."

"Fine," I growled the word before I realized it had even entered my mind. My eyes widened slightly, as did Alice's. I opened my mouth to dismiss my agreement, but found that I truly didn't want to. I wanted to see Bella again. I wanted to see her smile, even if it wasn't meant for me anymore. I wanted to see her eyes light up in joy. I wanted Bella.

"Really?" Alice squealed, jumping up to her feet. I heard Jasper chuckle softly, her emotions overwhelming him. I stared up at her bright and happy face, a crooked grin sliding across my features for the first time in years. I nodded.

"Let's get the tickets, then..." I began, standing up slowly. When I faced Alice once again, I found tickets held out in her hands. I blinked, "I guess I should have expected that of you... is that why you were blocking your thoughts?"

"I didn't know if it would work if you could hear everything that was going to happen," Alice explained with a smile as her thoughts came flooding back to me. I took my ticket from her, reading the information. We would be in Forks in less then eight hours.

"Of course it would," I muttered, shifting through the rest of the tickets. It seemed as though everyone was coming. Apparently everyone was betting on Bella being miserable. If she was, I would stay... even if she was happy, I don't think I could leave. "You know my only weakness is Bella."

"Try telling that to her," Jasper smirked as he smacked me on the back, walking out of the room. I stared back at his retreating form with a frown. I knew he meant no harm in what he said, but the regret I felt at leaving Bella was enough to crush the town.

"Cheer up!" Jasper groaned from the hall.

"You should listen to him, Edward," Alice chirped from my side, dancing to the door to follow after Jasper. She smiled at me from the doorway, "Bella is going to be so happy to see you, I just know it!"

"You know it? Or you know it, know it?" I asked, the crooked grin replacing my frown.

"Edward, that sounded like high school!" Alice laughed. Her expression then turned serious, "I haven't lied to you. I haven't watched Bella since we left. I don't know, know..." she grinned at that, "...if she'll be happy to see you. But believe me, if I know Bella... she'll be happy to see you."

"I hope so," I whispered after Alice had left the room. I know she heard it, but she didn't answer. I turned to my room and began to pack the belongings I would want to have immediately if we chose to stay. I would be seeing Bella in a little less then eight hours.

In eight hours, I would be happy again.

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**So, what did you think? Let me know! Seriously! Over 100 hits and only 7 reviews? Seriously, the more reviews, the faster the chapter comes out. Reviews are cookies and I love cookies! GIMME COOKIES!**


	3. Waffles and Velvet

**Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews! It's a great inspiration. **

** To answer a few questions...**

**The girl Jacob was with was the girl he imprinted on.**

**Bella was raped by Mike on the night of prom. I think I made that too ambiguous... but she was.**

** Anyway... Here it is! Chapter 3! This time you get to learn more about Bella's daughter. Is everyone anxious to have Edward come back to Bella?**

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Bella

"Mommy!" Allie called from the hallway, seconds before she came barreling into the room. Her long brown hair was messy and her purple teddy bear pajamas ruffled from sleep. I smiled at her as she skidded to a stop in front of me, a tiny frown saddening her features.

"What is it, baby?" I asked, scooping my daughter into my arms. I kissed her forehead lightly as she continued to stare at me. Her small hands reached out and touched the my cut gingerly. I winced.

"What happened, mommy?" her voice was soft as she asked the question she had already asked a hundred times before. It was quite possibly the first sentence she had ever learned. I smiled a sad smile at her, brushing her bangs back to kiss her forehead once more.

"Mommy is a klutz, Allie-baby," I said, trying my best to force a kidding grin on my face. It was difficult, but I think I managed for her, "I fell out of bed in the middle of the night and bumped my face."

"But mommy, both sides of your face are hurt," she urged. I blinked at the brilliance of my daughter. Too often she saw through my lies.

"Mommy is _very_ klutzy," I stuck to my lie. Allie stared at me for only a moment more before the worry on her face disappeared. A bright smile replaced the little frown and she reached up with both hands, pulling my face down to hers. I complied, and she kissed all the injured areas. I choked back my tears, keeping the smile on my face.

"Did daddy kiss it better?" Allie asked. She pulled away after I had flinched at the question. I had a smile when she looked at me expectantly. Such innocence.

"Yea, baby," I said, ruffling her hair, "Daddy kissed it better."

She slid off of my lap and lowered herself to the floor, gripping my left hand in both of hers, tugging me. I stood up and followed her to the door, "Come on, mommy! We're going to be late."

"Go get dressed, baby," I patted her on the back, urging her in the direction of her room. I started towards the stairs as she entered her bedroom, "I'll go get your breakfast started."

I paused on the middle of the stairs, listening to the opening of dresser drawer and the shuffling of clothes, "What do you want, Allie?"

"Waffles!" she called enthusiastically. I heard a bump. She had obviously fallen while dressing. I smiled at how much she reminded me of myself when I was younger, "I'm okay!"

"I know, Allie. I'll go make your waffles," I called back to her as I entered the living room and crossed to the kitchen. I opened the fridge, removing the ingredients necessary before setting to work on her breakfast.

Allie had been born nine months after the prom. I had wanted to name her Alice, but I knew that Mike would never allow it. I took the beginning of Alice's name and the end of Rosalie's name to make Allie's name. It was innocent enough that Mike didn't catch on. I wanted something to keep the memory of the Cullen family. Allie did just that. She had bright hazel eyes that were so light, they almost looked yellow. It was a painful reminder.

Allie was my one true treasure left in the world. She was never a mistake to me, although Mike often referred to her as such. He was graceful enough to never say such things in front of her face. He was quite kind to her, actually. He knew that if she were in danger, I would leave the next day. So he was wonderful. In truth, it was worse. He was the light of her life and he could support her in ways that I couldn't if I ever left. So I stayed. The hell I was in had to be better than never seeing Allie again.

I poured the batter into the waffle machine and followed the instructions I had followed a dozen times. Allie loved waffles and asked for them nearly every morning that she could. Which was whenever I stayed home. Mike would typically only allow a bowl of cereal before dropping her off at preschool.

"Mommy! I'm dressed!" Allie called as she bounded down the stairs. I smiled at the little pitter-patter of her feet. She had picked out a pink shirt with the picture of a bear on it and a simple pair of jeans. Bears were her favorite. Another painful reminder of the family I had lost.

"That's your favorite shirt, isn't?" I asked with a smile, scooping the waffles out of the machine and onto the plate. I set them on the table in front of her and placed the butter and the syrup next to it.

"Yep!" Allie chirped back as she smothered her waffles in syrup and butter.

I watched her with an admiring grin as she devoured her waffles with enthusiasm. I would eat breakfast after I had dropped her off at her preschool. She loved her preschool. She was the brightest student of her class, according to Mike. I rarely spoke to her teachers, unless I was actually presentable. I was not currently "presentable."

"Mommy," Allie continued to chirp as she munched on her breakfast, "We should have breakfast for dinner. Tommy Derkins, in my class, said his mommy made them breakfast for dinner last week!"

"Did she really?" I asked, the enthusiasm in my voice was only fake to me. Allie nodded an excited grin. "Well, if Tommy Derkins gets to have breakfast for dinner, then I think that Allie should get to, too!"

"Well, maybe not today," she continued, thoughtfully chewing on a mouthful of waffle. She swallowed before continuing, "I'd want it on a day that I have to eat cereal for breakfast."

She made a face at the mention of cereal. I laughed, standing up from the table to collect her empty plates. I rinsed them in the sink before depositing them into the dishwasher. Allie stood at the door, tugging on her boots.

"Ready to go, baby?" I asked her as I grabbed her little pink umbrella and handed it to her.

"Yep!"

I grabbed her backpack and helped her get it on her back. Opening the door for her, we stepped out into another rainy day. She sloshed happily in the water on the way to my old truck. The roar of the engine was a surprise, after riding in with Mike for the past week.

The drive to her preschool was rather quiet. Although she hid it well through her breakfast, I knew that Allie was tired. Her little head kept slumping over as she drifted in and out of sleep. She snapped wide awake only when we came to a stop in front of the doors to her preschool. She reached up, once again pulling my face to hers, and kissed me on the nose, "Thanks for driving me, mommy."

"No problem, Allie-baby," I mumbled into her hair as I kissed her forehead. She slipped off of the seat and lowered herself carefully to the ground. I rolled down the window enough to listen to her as she left.

"Wait up!" she called out as she spotted one of her friends. A little boy with shaggy brown hair and bright green eyes. He must not have heard her through the rain, because he continued to walk, "Wait! Hey, Edward!"

My breath became ragged and tore at my throat as Allie called the one name I couldn't bear to hear. Tears sprung to my eyes, stinging as I pulled away from the preschool. I tried to drive as far as I could, but through the blurry windshield and my tears, it was too dangerous. I pulled to the side of the road and slumped over my steering wheel, my body wracked with sobs.

I tried to push the thoughts away, tried to forget the word, but his name echoed through my mind._Edward, Edward, Edward._ It rang as clear as a bell, cutting me deeper and deeper each time. I fumbled for the handle, opening the door and falling out of my car and into the rain. I slammed the door behind me and began to walk into the woods. I needed to get away from the familiar. Away from my truck, away from the thoughts. Deep into the woods.

I walked aimlessly, soaked from the rain that poured down on my head. It was freezing, but if it weren't for my shivering body, I would never know. I had to get away. I had to walk away. I heard the crunching of leaves as I stumbled through the woods. Finally, I tripped over a fallen tree branch and collapsed to the ground. It was when I was finally on a stable surface again that I realized I was still sobbing.

I brought my hands up protectively, to cover my face. I didn't know if this habit had come from trying to shield myself from the thoughts, or from Mike's beatings that usually followed. I cringed, my eyes burning from the rain water and my tears that refused to stop. I rolled in the wet leaves, covered in my own misery.

_Edward, Edward, Edward._

His name wouldn't stop. I kept hearing his name, even now. I couldn't block it out. Suddenly I realized that I was the one saying his name. Sobbing his name. Screaming his name, "Edward! Edward, Edward, Edward!"

I tried to stop my lips, but they moved on their own free will, screaming the name I promised myself I would never say again. I shook with sobs. My calling was so loud, the rain was coming down so heavy. I was so dissolved in my own pain that I hardly heard it.

But I did hear it.

"Bella?"

Velvet.

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**Okay, maybe that was just a little evil. A little cliffhanger for you there. Just so there's no confusion, Edward took his flight around the time Bella was having her dream, so he had enough time to be in the woods with her now. The more reviews I get, the faster I write. Reviews are cookies! **


	4. Her Anguish

**Here it is! Chapter 4. It's a bit short, from Edward's point of view. Please don't hate me. Enjoy!**

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Edward

We had arrived in Seattle much earlier than I had expected. Of course, that was nothing I would ever complain about. I was anxious to see Bella again. Even more anxious to hold her in my arms. That is, if she would let me hold her again. I would see her again, regardless of her happiness. It had taken the span of a flight to decide that. Alice, to say the least, was thrilled with my decision. She had pleasantly blocked her thoughts from me after that.

After landing, Alice, Jasper and I took a cab to the nearest car dealer. The rest of our family was finding their own route home. There was no telling how long we would be here and a new car was a must. "Let me see that one," I pointed out the new shiny silver Volvo to the dealer. Alice moaned.

"Edward! Get something new."

"That is new," I said pointedly, walking over to the vehicle. I ran my hand along the length of it's glossy surface, "Mine is two years older than this one. I like this model."

"Fine, then. We'll take it," Alice grumbled, following the dealer into the room to complete the transaction. We paid off the car in one lump sum and were driving off to Bella's house in a matter of minutes.

I drove faster than normal, even for me, anxious to get to Bella's house. Alice stared out the window, into the drizzling rain. Jasper sat next to her, his hand locked in her own. My gaze flitted back to them, my heart aching. I missed that feeling.

"You'll see her soon," Jasper answered. My shocked eyes flew back to him at his intuition and he chuckled in response. "Come on, Edward. You're the mind reader. I read feelings. Your feelings are longing right now."

"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing the gas pedal a bit harder, urging us there faster. Jasper returned to his serenity with Alice. It wouldn't be very long until I was holding Bella in my arms once again.

We arrived at Charlie's house in a little under half an hour.

"Edward," Alice called to me as I sat there, shaking, "We'll take the car back to the house. You should go in by yourself. Take your time. We'll see you tonight."

"All right," I said, nodding curtly. I grabbed the door handle, pausing for a moment, "Thank you, Alice."

I was out in the rain for only a moment. I crawled up to the window, listening to the car drive off down the road. I was in her room a second later, my hair barely touched by the rain. I stared into the room, my eyes wide.

She hadn't been here. She hadn't been in this room in years.

I stumbled back to the window, my back pressed against the glass. My hand flew to my open mouth and my brow furrowed in concentration. Had Victoria gotten to Bella? Had Bella died? Why hadn't she come to this place in years? Did she ever come back after I had left? Where was she?

Thousands of questions continued to fly through my mind as I lowered myself out the window and back to the ground. Her scent was all over the town, so it was impossible that she had left or died. The warm, welcoming smell calmed many of the fears I had. So, I ran. I ran in search of her smell, following any trail I could find. I ran as fast as I could until I saw it.

Bella's truck.

I ran to it, my hand brushing along the hood. Still warm. She had been here only minutes ago. I followed her scent into the depths of the woods, angry at myself for leaving her. She would have never done anything so dangerous when I was here. I had told her the woods were a dangerous place. Why had she gone so deep?

"EDWARD!" I heard the sobbing scream and felt my dead heart twist in my chest. I dropped to the ground in response, my legs suddenly to heavy to move. It was Bella, screaming my name. Her screams were tortured, ripped apart by sobs. Hardly even coherent, to a normal listener. I could practically feel her pain radiating off of the woods, despite the fact that I didn't have Jasper's power.

"Edward, Edward, Edward!" her screams continued and my legs came alive. I was moving again, speeding in the direction of her screams and her scent. The scene I came upon tore me apart more than her screams had. I stumbled back against the tree behind me, my hands gripping the branches for stability. They cracked under the pressure of my hands.

Bella was laying on the ground, covered in rain and leaves. Her face was a tortured mask, bruised and cut. Despite her current state, she was still as lovely as I remembered her. She had hardly aged a day since I last saw her, it was obviously beneath the pain, cuts and bruises. She writhed on the ground in pure agony, sobbing my name again and again. One of my hands made its way to my chest, clutching at the place my heart used to beat. Clutching where the pain was now.

How could this have happened? She was supposed to be happy. She was supposed to move on and forget I ever existed. She was supposed to get married, have children, grow old... all the things I couldn't give her. She didn't move on. She was writhing in pain right before my eyes and it was all because of me. Because I had been stupid enough to leave her.

I stared at her, my mouth forming her name and my body somehow finding the strength to project my voice, "Bella?"

A pair of terrified eyes met mine.

---

**Okay... I know, it's short. And yes... I know it brings you to the SAME cliffhanger. Am I evil? Tell me I'm evil. I just found it important to get out Edward's side of the first encounter. The next chapter will have Edward and Bella finally meeting again, though! The real reunion. Let me know what you think. I need review cookies! I have the chapter nearly complete... If I can manage... think of a crazy number... 40 reviews, it'll go up as soon as it's finished! Otherwise... it might dangle for a few days... and wait. **

** Let's go for 40 review cookies (Pushing the review total to 93)! Pick your favorite! Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal Raisin, Peanut Butter, Sugar... let me know your cookie and what you think so far! **


	5. Love Returns

**So close to 93! We made it to 83... darn. Close. Anyway! Here is the fifth chapter. I hope you enjoy this one. It's a lot longer than the last one was. Enjoy!**

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Bella

I stared at him with horrified eyes, questioning my current mental state. Was it possible that my agony and desire to see him was so strong, so powerful, that I had conjured up this miraculous hallucination? My body trembled violently as I tried to push myself up from the forest floor. I was unsuccessful and soon collapsed back onto the ground, a strangled sob echoing briefly in the rain.

"I'm going crazy," I murmured, turning about on the ground until I was lying on my back, staring up at the sky. I heard the crunching noise sounding from the fallen leaves and marveled at my imagination. My intense pain was urging my hallucination to comfort me. My mind had become so twisted in its desire to see him that I had actually begun to see him. A tired, hysterical laugh escaped my lips as I closed my eyes. I could hear his breathing, shallow and slow like mine, "It's never been this real before."

"What hasn't?" his voice was as soft and as smooth as I had remembered it. Softer, even. I let the feeling of his voice wrap around me, a small and sad smile touching my lips.

"You," the broken word escaped my lips in a tortured sob, my expression twisting in agony. I heard a sharp intake of breath, shuddering and painful, followed by a heavy crunch. It sounded like a large tree branch had dropped to the ground. I opened my eyes, the tears they prevented fell down my cheeks now. Through my tears and the rain, I found my beautiful illusion. He looked tortured.

"Bella," my name was a harsh cry on his lips as he sobbed without tears . Funny how realistic my illusion was... even this Edward had no real tears to shed. I stared at him, trying to make the illusion a happier one, but it remained broken. His fingers were twisted into his wet bronze hair, his palms resting on his forehead. Edward was in pain.

The moment that I thought his name again, I regretted it. My body was crushed by the weight of the pain and I screamed out in anguish, the scream slowly disappearing into more sobs. Maybe I was imagining it with the rest of the illusions, but I thought I heard him cry out in pain as well. I heard the leaves rustling as he crawled over to me, "Bella, my Bella."

Suddenly, I was pulled up, encased by a body as hard as rock and as cold as ice. I was shocked at the reality of my illusion. I stared up at the sky, tears streaming silently down my cheeks. I gasped in breaths of air with my open mouth, tasting his delicious scent on my tongue. It was so real. So agonizingly real. His body shook with his sobs, his voice breaking as he repeated my name again and again into my ear.

"Not real," I murmured softly as he began to rock me back and forth. Again, his breath caught and he pulled back to stare into my eyes. I found myself lost in his beautiful gaze, the same haunting melted topaz that I had gazed into years ago. His eyes were twisted with pain and regret and I soon found myself reaching up to cradle his face in my hands, "No."

"Bella, I'm here," he whispered against my palm before placing an icy kiss against it. His eyes found mine again. They were still tortured. He shouldn't be sad, I realized, even if he was just an illusion. No matter what pain found me, it couldn't be worse than Edward's pain. Again, his name sent a painful chill to my core and I shivered in his chest, whimpering. I held me closer, "Bella! Bella, I'm real."

"No," I urged, stroking his face with my fingers. I wanted to treasure every inch of him while I could. "You can't be Edward," my voice broke on his name and he flinched at the pain in my voice. "He left me. He doesn't want to come back. You're a hallucination. You'll be gone soon. Just like him..."

"No, Bella!" his voice was harsh as he pulled me closer to him. I couldn't see the fury in his eyes, but I knew him well enough to know it was there. I could feel him shaking his head, "Bella, I'm back. I came back for you and I'm not leaving. I'll never leave you again."

"But you will," I said with some confidence, although doubt was evident in my eyes. He couldn't possibly be here, could he? Was he really back here, holding me? My illusions of him had never touched me or held me like this. They never comforted me or sobbed as uncontrollably as he was now. Was it really possible? My heart ached at the thought, at the desire.

"Bella, how?" he begged, releasing me to cup my face between his hands. I was right. There was fury in his eyes, but it wasn't directed at me. It was the most passionate emotion I had ever see there; a fury to make me understand. The urgency in his eyes struck a chord deep within me and I found myself yearning for the reality of this. He was real. Was it possible? His voice came quick and fervent, his sweet fragrance delicious on my tongue, "What can I do? What can I do to make you believe I'm real?"

There was only one answer.

"Kiss me."

The words had barely escaped my lips before his mouth was on mine. My breath came in a wild gasp as my hands flew into his hair, my fingers twisting themselves in the luxurious strands. Normally, this reaction would have frozen him in place and the kiss would have ended. I felt a shock run through my body as he pushed me to the ground, his left hand roaming the length of my body as his lips moved hungrily with mine.

I squeezed my eyes shut, tears falling from the corners. So maybe this was an illusion. I didn't care. I'd take it. His right hand kept his body from crushing upon me, although I could still feel his cold, muscular chest brushing against me. His roaming hand paused on my waist, settling there to tease the fabric of my shirt. I could feel a burning sensation in my throat and knew that my lungs were screaming for air. I refused. If it meant breaking apart from his amazing lips, I would sooner suffocate.

Edward would never let me, of course. Sensing my need, he pulled away. A moan of protest left my lips, but his mouth was already on my neck weaving patterns with his lips. I gasped in a few mouthfuls of air, like a swimmer getting ready to go under. The moment my lungs had been satisfied, his lips found mine again, a rough growl of need rumbling through his chest. It sent a delicious shiver down mine spine.

How could this be happening? How could he be back, here in my arms? The world from this morning drifted away. Mike could no longer hurt me now that my life had meaning again. My lips moved with his in ways I had forgotten, my body pressing with an urgent need against his. He responded to each desire, his boundaries torn down at my request. I was happy again. I could forget about Mike. About...

Allie.

A sharp gasp tore out of my throat as I sat up. Edward allowed the movement, sliding off of me reluctantly. I sat there gasping, my mind finally clicking back into place. I couldn't do this to Allie. My beautiful daughter. She loved Mike and her family life. I loved her. I couldn't leave her. Utter pain filled my eyes, "Bella? Bella! Bella, what's wrong?"

"This," I said, shaking my head quickly, "This is wrong, Edward. We shouldn't be doing this. This is wrong... you left. You don't want me."

"You have no idea, Bella," the lust in his voice nearly let my need for him loose. His lips were on my neck, cool and reassuring, "I want you." He pulled back and his eyes smoldered like two golden embers. I swallowed back my desire to lose myself in him yet again.

"Edward," my tone was urging him to remember, "In those woods, you said you didn't want me. You left. You -"

He cut me off with a quick, deep kiss. When he gazed back into my eyes again, I could see the pain shining in them, "I'm a good liar, Bella."

"What?"

"I lied to you. I had to," he added quickly, his right hand brushing a cool trail along my jawbone. I shivered at the luscious feeling. I was fighting a losing battle. "I never wanted to leave you, Bella. I didn't think you would move on if I didn't say what I did. I could see you weren't going to let go."

"But why, Edward? Why would you leave me?" my words were choked with tears.

"I'm not good for you, Bella," the moment the words left his lips, I began to sob, terrified he was leaving yet again. He rushed to continue, "But it doesn't matter, Bella. You love me and as long as you'll have me, I'll stay. I was stupid to think I could protect you by leaving. I realize that now."

"You were trying to protect me?" the words came out slow and confused.

"After Jasper," I flinched at the memory. He paused, sighing softly. He kissed my forehead before continuing, "I thought if I left, you could be safe. Safe to live a normal and happy life. As much as it killed me to do so, I left. I see now that I was wrong. You're safe here," he punctuated his sentence by pulling me closer into his arms, "And you can stay here as long as you want."

"Forever," I whispered softly, without thought. Allie's face flashed through my mind and I shook my head, "But I can't, Edward."

"Why, Bella?" he whispered, his voice pained. I didn't dare look into his eyes. My resolve would break if I saw pain there. "Did you move on? I can understand, if you did. I intended for you to, after all."

"No, Edward," I whispered his name, relishing the taste. "I never moved on. I could have never moved on from you." My lower lip quivered as I continued, tears threatening to fall, "But I was hurting so bad. Charlie threatened to send me away, back to Renee. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving. I was stupid, Edward. So stupid."

"Bella, you're not stupid," he chided, still trailing his cool fingers up and down along my jaw.

"I am, Edward," I assured him, finally looking up at his eyes. They were curious now. Of course. The pain wouldn't come until after I told him why I was stupid. I stared down at the forest floor before the agony came. "I married..."

His breath caught in his throat, his grip tightening slightly on me. I had promised myself that I would not look into his eyes, but my head moved on its own accord. There it was. The pain. The loss. He feared he had lost me forever. How wrong he was and yet at the same time, so right. I continued, my voice shaking, "I married Mike."

"Newton?" his voice was incredulous.

"Yes," I laughed softly, unable to help myself. Mike was probably the last name Edward expected to hear. "He was there when I was broken. I didn't care anymore. Charlie told me he would send me away if I didn't start moving on. So, I pretended. I pretended with one person I knew I could never love."

"You're not happy?" the question was worried.

"No!" I said a little too quickly. He blinked at the answer, taken aback. I blushed at my sudden outburst, but continued regardless, "No... no, I don't love him. I'm certainly not happy with him. Oh, if I could leave him," I sighed at the dream of leaving, "Oh, Edward, I would."

"Then do," Edward urged, taking my hands in his. He stared into my eyes, happiness flooded them, "Just leave. I'll take you with me. We can go anywhere you want. Anywhere in the world. You'll never have to be with him again."

"I can't," I whispered softly, flinching at the thought. If I ever left, Mike would turn his abuse on Allie. He had told me a dozen times he would win custody of her. Assured me that he would stop at nothing to keep her from me. I couldn't let him hurt her.

"But Bella, why?" Edward asked, reaching up quickly to no doubt stroke my cheek again. His hand was too fast and my reactions had changed since the last time I had saw him. I couldn't help it, even though I knew he wouldn't hurt me. Mike had taught me to fear. I flinched away before his hand could touch my face, my hands flying up instinctively to protect me.

My breathing slowed as I listened for his reaction, fearful that I had hurt him once again. He was completely silent, his breathing even slower than mine. I lowered my hands down to my lap before turning to face him. He was staring at me in complete confusion, hurt evident in his eyes. He scanned my face, pausing on certain areas. I knew which areas. A cut. A bruise. Another bruise.

I knew which areas he had found, because the hurt in his eyes faded, replaced by anger. His eyes had faded to onyx, sparkling with small flecks of gold. I could feel his fury, see it plain on his features. Angry snarls ripped from his throat, sending terrified shivers down my spine. His hands clenched into tight fists at his sides as he stared at me. Finally, he spoke, "Bella, did he do this to you?"

"Do what?" I asked as innocently as I could manage. Edward harming Mike would do no good for his family.

He growled, "Bella."

I stared at him for a long second, pondering my options. To be quite honest, I had no options. He could see through me as easily as he could see through a window. My response, my reactions to his touch. There was no way to hide what Mike had done to me. My answer was a whisper, "Yes."

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**Well, that was definitely a longer chapter than the last one. What did you think? How do you think Edward will react? **

**I'm going for 120 reviews this time... which means I need 37 reviews from YOU! Let me know what you think! Please:) **

** The more reviews I get, the faster I type... the faster you get a new chapter. Remember to leave a review cookie on the table.**


	6. Beaten

**Okay, wow. Seriously, wow... 129 REVIEWS! Thank you so much for your constant encouragement and input. I'm so glad that so many of you like the story. I got this chapter ready as fast as I could. Here is Chapter 6! How will Edward react to Bella's confession? Read on to find out!**

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Edward

"But Bella, why?" I asked her desperately, reaching up to caress her beautiful face. I felt my heart wrench in pain when her expression twisted into one of fear and she flinched away from my touch. Her hands flew up in front of her face as thought she were protecting herself from an attack. Protecting herself from me. My hand dropped limply to my side and I waited for her to recover, watching her with pained eyes.

Slowly, she lowered her hands down to her lap, folding them gracefully. She reluctantly met my gaze and I was unable to hide the hurt in mine before she noticed it. Her expression confused me – she looked much more ashamed than fearful. It was then that I began to realize something else was wrong. The way she had reacted to cover her face was too instinctual, like a beaten animal flinching at a mere pet. The thought repeated through my head.

_Like a beaten animal._

_Beaten._

_Beaten..._

My eyes narrowed as I scrutinized her features, taking in things I had dismissed in my relief at seeing her again. She shifted nervously, her eyes watching mine expectantly as I examined her. She had a cut just below one eye, her other eyes was bruised. The skin around both markings was swollen and red. I could feel the horror in my expression, see it reflected back at me in her fearful eyes. She knew. He did it.

He beat her. He had abused my delicate, sweet, wonderful Bella. My Bella who deserved nothing but happiness and love. He had beaten her to the point where she flinched away from my touch. From my hands. As these thoughts ran through my mind, I heard a horrible ripping sound that didn't make sense. I soon realized the noises were emanating from my chest as the rage-filled growls tore between my clenched teeth. My eyes held nothing but fury as I stared at my abused love, "Bella, did he do this to you?"

Her expression faltered briefly, full of fear and worry. It faded fast. Despite her quick switch to a mask of innocent calm, I could see right through her. It didn't matter that I couldn't read her mind. I didn't have to. "Did what?"

Anger flared in my bones and a feral snarl tore from my throat as I spoke, "Bella."

Bella's body quivered with my reaction and I instantly regretted frightening her. Still, my expression did not change and my growls did not cease. I was mad. No, I was furious. If Mike had been unfortunate enough to be here now, he would be dead. Even if he hadn't caused this, and I scoffed at the thought, she had still been injured repeatedly while in his case. That alone was unforgivable.

Finally, Bella spoke. I knew her answer, "Yes."

The forest echoed with my roar.

I was on my feet, pacing back and forth quickly as I pondered the quickest way to end Mike's life. No, not quick. Slow. He deserved a slow and torturous death for ever laying a hand on my Bella. He deserved pain for even_thinking_ of harming her. My growls were louder now, ripping from me wildly. Bella watched me with wary eyes, no doubt wondering what must be going through my mind right now. I thanked God for the fact that she did not have my ability. The thoughts I had now were not suitable for such an angel to see.

"Edward?" Bella asked hesitantly. My eyes flickered to hers, but my pacing did not stop. She began again, "Edward, what are you thinking?"

"Ways to kill him," I spoke bluntly, my answer a snarl. She shivered at the threat in my voice.

"Edward, you can't -" she began, but I quickly cut her off.

"Just watch me," I stopped pacing and stared at her. The worry and pain in her eyes was almost too much. I broke into a rage, "How dare he! How dare he ever harm you. How dare he ever _think_ about harming you! He deserves to be hurt. He deserves to die."

"But Edward -" I stopped her again.

"Where is he?" I demanded.

Panic filled Bella's eyes and she shook her head frantically, "No," she begged, "No, no. Edward, you can't! Please, Edward! Don't!"

Confusion filled my eyes as Bella began to sob. I walked over to her slowly, lowering myself down to the forest floor. I cupped her delicate chin in my left hand, lifting gently to gaze into her eyes. "Do you love him?" Her eyes stared at me as thought I had completely lost my mind. I couldn't help but chuckle. "Then why are you trying to protect him, Bella?"

She nibbled on her lower lip, her gaze lowering to the forest floor. I could practically hear the grinds moving in her head as she thought of an excuse. I sighed, frustrated, and lifted her chin gently once more to meet her gaze. I stared lovingly into her eyes, using the full hypnotic powers of my eyes. I could feel her reserve melting in my hands, her vision hazing over, "He has power over me."

My brow furrowed at her ambiguous response. Normally when I stared at her that way, she would divulge any shred of information she had. This was not something she wanted to discuss, something she was keeping so deeply hidden from me that it would not come out, "You really don't want to tell me, do you?"

"It's not that, Edward, it's just..." she frowned, her gaze dropping again.

"What?" I probed. She didn't respond. I stroked her cheek lovingly, reveling in the marvelous feeling of her warm skin on mine. "Bella, what is it?"

"You'll hate me." she whispered the words, her voice breaking.

"Never," my response was automatic. My arms circled themselves about her waist, pulling her close to me, "Never, Bella. I would never, ever hate you. I love you with all of my heart. With everything I am."

"Edward, I -" her voice broke off again, choked by a sob. I kissed her forehead encouragingly. "Edward, can we go to your home? Is everyone there?"

"Yes, of course," I answered both questions at once, scooping her up into my arms. I cradled her there, kissing her deeply before setting off at a normal pace towards her truck. I didn't want to upset her with running to my house at vampire speed. I opened her door swiftly, sliding her gently into the passenger side before sitting in the driver's seat.

"It's so strange," she murmured, staring at me as I pulled onto the road and started in the direction of my house.

"What is?"

"Having you back here, with me," she continued in a whisper, "It's so surreal. I'm waiting for you to disappear."

"Never," I answered immediately, reaching across to brush her cheek, "It was a mistake to ever leave. I'm a quick learner, Bella. I'll never make that mistake again. I'm here until you tell me to go."

"Never," she leaned into my touch, "I never want you to go."

Silence settled over us, but I felt comforted by it. Silence was always easy in Bella's presence. I enjoyed the rhythm of her heartbeat that I had come to love so much. Her scent, enticing as always, filled the truck. Everything was warm, inviting, perfect. Alice was right to send us back. We never should have left. I could only imagine everyone's excitement when I brought Bella into our home.

"They'll be so excited to see you," I broke the silence. I watched a smile touch her lips.

"I've missed them so much," she had happiness shining in her voice. She opened her mouth to continue then, but gasped in sudden horror. Her body became rigid next to mine, her eyes wide with fear as she stared out the windshield to the pouring rain and traffic that surrounded us.

"What is it?" I asked in panic worry. She hardly moved, hardly breathed. She closed her eyes slowly, taking in deep gulps of air as she tried to calm herself. I pulled her close to me, keeping one hand on the wheel. I rubbed her back reassuringly, whispering "It's okay. I'm here. It's okay, Bella. I love you."

"Mike," she choked out after a few minutes of my whispers, "Mike drove past us. He saw us. He saw you."

"Bella," I stared down at her, "He can't hurt you. I'll never let him hurt you."

"He will. He'll find a way around you," she whispered, panic still present in her voice.'

"Bella," the was a slight chuckle to my voice, "You're underestimating my strength. He will not touch you."

I felt her body grow calm next to mine, although my hand continued to move along her back in small, reassuring circles. I pulled off the main road and onto the road that would bring us to the house. I pulled up the drive and came to a stop in front of the house I had missed so much. The house that reminded me of Bella. I turned to my love, a soft smile on my face, "Welcome home."

---

**So, what did you think? Did Edward react the way you thought he would? I'd like to think that's how he'd react. Who wants Edward to kill Mike?! Let's take a poll! Leave a review - Mike LIVES or Mike DIES! The more reviews I get, the faster I type. Is there a connection? Maybe. Inspire me! Cookie time!**


	7. Home At Last

**Wow! We're up at 185 REVIEWS! I've been really busy the past few days, but I managed to get another chapter finished. Here is Chapter 7! The Cullens are back and they have a plan to save Bella. Will she let them?**

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Bella

"Bella!" Alice shrieked, literally launching herself from the door and into my arms, hugging me tight. Her arms hugged over the fresh set of bruises I had received from Mike over the course of the week and I gasped in pain. Edward growled in warning, though it was pointless since Alice has released me at the very first sight of pain. My hands flew around my waist, holding my sides protectively against the pain. I tried to keep a straight face. It didn't work.

"Hey Alice," I whispered through my wince. The worry was apparent in her eyes as she looked frantically to Edward.

"Mike," was all he muttered.

"Mike?" Alice's voice was still a twinkling of bells, even as confused panic filled her voice. Her eyes scanned my face much as Edward's had, searching, "What about Mike?"

"He beat her," the words came out in an angry growl. I flinched.

"What?" roared Emmett's voice as he came barreling through the front door. It ripped off the hinges and fell limply to the side.

Apparently the entire house had been listening, because the rest of the Cullens filed out behind Emmett. Esme glanced at the destroyed door once. Their expressions were all enraged, even Rosalie. Even _Esme_. It was unsettling to see such a kind, loving woman so angered. I quivered under their stares, although I knew none of their anger was directed at me.

My fear did not last long. Jasper sent out a calming wave over the group and I welcomed it. Most of the Cullens threw annoyed glances his way; they wanted to feel enraged right now. I, however, smiled at him gratefully. I knew he wasn't blocking their anger, he was trying to keep me from falling apart.

"Why? Why did he even get close enough?" Alice's voice was shocked, wondering. It was so unlike her. I knew then that she had not been watching my future.

"She married him," Edward's voice held a sorrow that broke my heart.

"Get real," Emmett scoffed, throwing his head back with a laugh. Nobody's expressions changed. He chuckled reluctantly before fully gathering Edward's serious expression. He then turned his attention on me, eyes wide, "Bella?"

I nodded slowly. I anticipated his next question, "Why?"

"I was," I paused, my eyes flitting to Edward to gauge his reaction to my next words, "Was crushed," as expected, his face crumpled in pain and I found it hard to continue, "When you left. I became friends with Jacob Black. He took care of me. We were good friends. I think I even started to heal."

I trailed off slowly, the sadness entering my eyes, "But then he stopped talking to me."

I paused at Edward's growl. "I was broken twice there and I decided that I didn't care anymore," my words choked at the end. Edward took my hand in his and I continued, "Charlie threatened to send me back to Renee's unless I started to move on."

I squeezed my eyes shut against the onslaught of tears. They fell freely anyway, "I didn't want to leave Forks. I wouldn't let myself remember your name, but I had to stay here. Maybe you'd change your mind, maybe you'd come back. I couldn't leave, Edward. I just couldn't!"

"Shh..." he whispered softly into my hair as he lowered his face to press a comforting kiss on top of my head.

"So, I pretended to move on," I whispered, my voice still cracking, "I decided I'd be with the next person who offered. Three guesses who," I gave one dark laugh, "I could never love Mike, I knew that then. I know that now. I think he knew it, too. I don't think he ever cared about that part."

I felt the low growl rumble in Edward's chest, "It was the easier choice. It appeased Charlie and it let me stay in Forks. Mike was thrilled, of course. He was decent to me at first. He never beat me, that came after we were married... He only ever hurt me once before then."

"Still, why would you marry him?" Alice urged, her eyes full of questions.

"I..." I paused, knowing the true reason. Allie. "It was just to satisfy Charlie. I didn't want to find another person to love. I was still in love with Edward. Tying myself to someone I didn't love was easier for me. I could go on waiting and keep everyone happy."

"You're lying," Edward accused instantly. My eyes flew to his. They were hard, expecting me to continue with the truth. I thought I had lied well enough, but even after all these years, he knew me so well. I shivered as I prepared to tell the truth.

"I never wanted to, Edward," the tears fell freely from my eyes. His arms slipped securely about my waist, pulling me close. I turned to hide my face against his chest, enjoying his scent while it lasted. Would he leave me because of Allie? "He forced himself on me, after prom."

Edward stiffened.

"He raped you?" Rosalie's enraged voice shocked me. Of all the people to react, she was the one I expected the least.

"I got pregnant," it was barely a whisper, but I knew they heard it. They were shocked into absolute silence. I stared up at Edward, gazing into his wide golden eyes. I tried to hold onto my composure, but my face crumpled in sorrow. My knees gave out and I would have fallen, if it weren't for Edward's strong arms around me. I sobbed uncontrollably, my surroundings a blur.

"I'm sorry. Please, Edward, don't leave! I'm sorry," the words were strangled through my sorrows, "I love you. I'm sorry, Edward."

"Bella, Bella," he whispered my name softly into my ear, over and over, his fingers stroking through my hair. My sobs slowed and quieted before finally disappearing. Only then did he move his hands to cup my face so he could stare into my eyes, "I'm here to stay. Forever, Bella."

"Why are you apologizing, Bella?" Emmett's voice was unlike him. It was sad and confused.

"Because she thinks it's her fault," Rosalie answered before I could, her voice harsh. I flinched away from the tone. "Bella," she spoke directly to me. Perhaps for the first time. It had been so long, I couldn't remember, "It's not your fault."

"I made this choice, Rosalie," I whispered, my eyes moving to her face. She was angry, but I continued, "I chose to stay with someone I didn't love. I have to accept the pain I get for that."

"That's ridiculous!" Rosalie raged, stepping closer to me. Edward put his body between us and growled low in warning. Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Don't be stupid, Edward. I'm not going to hurt her. I'm trying to make her understand."

There was a silent communication between Rosalie and Edward that lasted for a few seconds. Then, Edward released me and stepped off to the side, watching Rosalie warily. I was shocked that I had been left to face her alone. A cold feeling of abandonment washed over me for a second before Jasper countered it with another wave of calm.

"Bella, Edward told you what happened to me, right?" Rosalie began in a gentler tone. So unlike her. I stared in shock, but nodded. She sighed before continuing, "I was raped and beaten to the point of death, Bella. I chose to be with the man that had done that to me before it happened."

That, I did not know. She stepped closer, her voice more urgent now, "You have to understand, Bella. You make choices in your life. Sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong. Regardless of your choices, Mike has no reason to hurt you. In any way. Mike was wrong to take advantage of you then. He is wrong to hurt you now."

"You have no reason to apologize, Bella," Alice chimed in then. "Mike should be the one apologizing."

"I can make sure he does that," Emmett growled, flexing the steel bands of muscle on his arms.

"I've already tried that," Edward grumbled. I looked toward him and he smiled grimly at me, "She doesn't want Mike hurt. Why, I can't imagine."

"Mike hurts me," I began, my gaze dropping instantly, "But he's wonderful to Allie."

"Allie?" Esme gasped.

"My daughter," I explained, "I knew he wouldn't let me name her Alice. He hates your family because... well, because I love all of you. So, I took the beginning of Alice's name and the end of Rosalie's name to make Allie. He seemed happy with it."

"Bella, he could hurt Allie, too," Alice reminded me.

"He wouldn't," I sounded sure, but I didn't feel it, "He likes to hurt me. He knows I would leave in an instant if it weren't for Allie. He brings home the money, pays for the house... If I left and we fought for custody, he would get it. Without me, he could hurt Allie."

"But Bella," Alice began, but I cut her off.

"He needs a punching bag," I responded. Edward snarled at my words, "I'll be happy to be one, so long as he doesn't hurt Allie. I can protect her if I'm there."

"Bella," Carlisle spoke now, his voice calm, "You are going to get away from Mike and you are going to take Allie with you."

"But I," I tried to explain, but Edward cut me off immediately. His eyes flashed with a smile. He had read Carlisle's thoughts.

"Maybe you can't support her on your own, but we can make sure that you can," Edward spoke, turning to me now. His hands held my face gently, his cool thumbs stroking my cheeks, "You have the marks to prove Mike is abusive. You'll have the financial status to support Allie. We can take care of both of you."

"But Allie in a house of vampires," Edward's brow furrowed and I continued quickly, "You know I have no problems with what you are. I just know I cause enough problems and with a three year old on top of that..."

"Bella, trust me," Edward chuckled, "If I'm fine with you, I'll be fine with Allie, too."

I stared into his eyes, feeling myself melt in the beautiful golden orbs. Edward meant everything to me and so much more. Deep down, I always had the fear that Mike would one day become abusive towards Allie as well. So, I finally saw it. The light at the end of the tunnel. I could get myself out of the hell I had fell into. I could save Allie from a fate as horrid as mine. I could save the both of us from Mike. We could be happy.

"Edward?" I whispered softly, coming to a decision. As quick as it was, I knew in my heart that it was right.

"Yes, Bella?" he smiled. Of course, Alice had seen what I was about to ask. Of course he had seen what she saw. I asked anyway.

"Would you like to meet her?"

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**So, what do you think? It's not really a cliffy, I suppose. Maybe a tiny, little cliffy. Not really. Anyway! **

**Did you like the Cullen's reactions? What about Edward's reaction to Allie? Please, let me know! The more reviews, the faster the next chapter comes! BRING ON THE COOKIES!**


	8. Allie

**Wow, you guys are great! 238 REVIEWS! I wrote this chapter quick for all of my lovely reviewers! Well, here is it, Chapter 8! Edward gets to meet Allie for the first time!**

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"Can I come with?" Alice begged Bella in her sweetest voice.

Alice danced along side of us as I carried Bella to her truck. Although Bella was perfectly capable of walking, as she had pointed out many times in protest, I was unable to let her go. I was so happy to have Bella back in my arms yet again. Her skin was warm against mine, her weight comforting - how did I ever have enough strength to give this up?

"Sure, if you want to," Bella said with a small grin, incapable of saying no to Alice. I bent down to kiss her forehead, smiling as her wide and warm brown eyes moved to stare at me.

"Oh, this is great, Bella!" Alice cheered and her dance continued. With the lighter atmosphere Alice created, it was hard to remember that we were going to see Bella's daughter. Mike's daughter. Mike, the man who had been abusing Bella for the past four years. My happy expression turned grim.

"What is it, Edward?" I had forgotten that Bella was watching me.

"It's nothing, Bella," I assured her, flashing her a crooked grin. I watched as her eyes glazed over with the love that I had missed. "I just can't believe how much has changed..."

A sad smile found its way onto her lips. She knew exactly what I was talking about. "I know. I never expected to see any of you again. I expected to die in that hell alone."

I grimaced, reminded again of the horrible situation I had left Bella in. "I will never forgive myself for leaving you," I promised, "Not if I live a thousand years. Not if I live an eternity."

"Don't say that," she said this with a contented smile, turning the nuzzle her face against my chest. Her lips mumbled softly against the fabric of my shirt, "I've forgiven you. You're forgiven, Edward."

"Just don't do it again," Alice warned, sending me a meaningful look.

"I'm a fast learner, Alice."

"Allie is going to love you," Bella said, a yawn pulling out of her mouth.

"Didn't sleep well?" I asked.

"No. I had nightmares," her eyes were closed now, but I still noticed the frown that played on her lips.

"Well, I'm here now," I reminded her, pulling her closer against my chest. She was so warm. So perfect, "I'll keep the nightmares away."

Bella sighed happily in my arms, the sweet breath a release of all the pain that had plagued her body for the four years that I had left her. She looked truly happy now – nearly as happy as I felt. Her eyes still closed, her breathing began to slow into a gentle rhythm. How I had missed watching her dream.

"Allie is going to love us," Alice responded to Bella's previous statement with confidence. She had no doubt 'seen' this. I was too focused on Bella to pay attention to any other thoughts.

"Well, we find out soon," I said, kissing Bella's forehead once again. She was asleep. "Bella, love, we're here."

Her eyes opened slowly and she stretched within my arms. I chuckled, sliding her into the passenger seat of the truck with me. I encircled her with my arms and her head fell back upon my chest as she drifted into the same slumber she had been in only moments before. Alice took the wheel, already knowing the location of the daycare.

"Will Bella need to pick up Allie soon?" I asked as quietly as I could. Possibly too quiet for Bella to hear, even at this close proximity.

"Bella needs to pick up Allie in approximately 19 minutes," she flashed me a grin, "We'll be there with time to spare."

"Of course."

"You want to ask me something." Alice prompted. It wasn't a question.

I smirked. She knew everything.

"Yes." I began, although she already knew my question, "Will you watch Bella and Allie's futures for me?"

"I was going to do that anyway," Alice said, a grin still playing on her lips. She paused and then turned to look at me, "Of course. I'll watch them."

"Watch Mike, too," I said, my voice darkening over the name.

Her eyes narrowed and she nodded briefly. Neither of us wanted to talk about Bella's husband. He would be a very unlucky man to cross any of our paths now. Especially Rosalie's. Aside from my own anger and possibly Alice's, Rosalie's was the most profound. She had been through the same types of situations. Beatings, rape - although, Rosalie had no one to save her.

My attention dropped down to my dear Bella's face, watching as she slept in my arms. Despite the bruises that discolored areas of her face, she looked completely at peace. Happy, content. Exactly how I felt right now. I heard Alice chuckle and looked up to her with a confused expression. Quickly, I read her mind.

_It's nothing, Edward. _She paused in her thoughts. _It's just that... I'm so happy to see you so happy. You're smiling so wide that your face must hurt. I haven't seen you happy, seen you smile, in four years._

"She is my happiness," I whispered, my face lowering to her hair. I breathed in her smell of her hair, missing the heavenly scent of my Bella. It had been too long.

"We're nearly there," Alice spoke softly. I looked up to see the daycare we were quickly approaching. Well, as quickly as you could in Bella's truck. I traced my cool fingers down along Bella's jaw and felt her stir from her slumber. Her eyes fluttered open and her gaze found mine. A tiny smile passed across her lips.

"We're here, Bella," I whispered to her as we rolled to a stop in front of the daycare. She reluctantly slid out of my arms, stretching in the process. I watched her, opening the door and stepping out before assisting her. She took my hand with a bemused grin.

"You really don't want to let go of me?" her question sounded so hopeful.

"Does it show?" I asked, slipping an arm carefully about her waist. I flashed her a crooked grin, "Bella, I went far too long without holding you. I need to make up for lost time."

She didn't respond to that, but her growing smile said everything that I needed to hear. I pulled her closer, careful of the bruises I knew Mike had left along her sides. I suppressed a growl as we walked up to the doors of the daycare. It was here that Bella finally paused, turning to me with a sad expression, "You have to let me go here."

"Why?" I whispered as she slipped out of my embrace. I traced my fingers along her warm jawline, watching her expression change from sadness to regret.

"They know me here, Edward," she started and I knew immediately her reasoning, "Not well, of course. Mike hardly lets me go in, but they know of me. If they see you holding me, it'll bring up questions. They might even tell Mike. I don't know what I would do... and Allie. It'll confuse Allie. Mike is all she knows."

"Of course," I whispered, stopping the words with a tender kiss. My hands traced through the length of her hair, holding her neck gently. Her lips parted beneath mine before I pulled back. "When you feel comfortable, let me know."

"Thank you, Edward," her voice trailed off, with a dreamlike quality. I flashed a second grin at her and we walked into the daycare.

"Hello, Bella!" The receptionist greeted her with a fake cheery ring to her voice. I grimaced at the sound, "It's been so long since we've seen you!"

"Hello, Mrs. Dwyzer," Bella responded, a genuine greeting in her voice. She stepped closer to the front desk, smiling to Mrs. Dwyzer, "I'm here to pick up Allie. Is it too early?"

"No, no!" Mrs. Dwyzer responded with a hearty chuckle, lifting the phone off the receiver. She spoke briefly, "Allie Newton to the front office, please." She set the phone back in its place and smiled back at Bella, "The end of the day is usually their play hour, so she won't miss anything important."

"Thank you," Bella said simply before turning to Alice, an anxious smile on her face, "Do you think she'll like you?"

"Bella," Alice sounded with a twinkling laugh, "I know it's been a long time, but have you forgotten how much I know? I know she'll like us. Trust me. I saw that before you even invited me with."

Bella looked relieved, another brilliant, but small smile playing on her lips. I heard the soft tapping of Allie's feet before she came through the door. She had a scent reminiscent of Bella, and Mike if I remember his correctly. I never got close enough to know his scent, nor did I have any desire to now. She pushed through the door, and came to stop in front of Bella who was still staring at us.

"Mommy," Allie whispered, tugging gently on the bottom of Bella's shirt. Bella looked down to her daughter for but a moment before scooping Allie into her arms. The smile that lit Bella's face made my dead heart flutter in love. She looked so happy, so at ease with Allie. The two of them together was like looking at a time warp.

She had shiny, long brown hair, just like Bella's. Her features and her smile all came from her mother, as bright and as beautiful as the sun. Her eyes, however, were not at all like Bella's. They were an extremely light hazel, so light that they practically resembled my own eyes when I had fed well enough. It startled me. Her eyes found my gaze, a curious expression plastering itself across her face. "Mommy, who is that?"

"This is Edward Cullen, Allie-baby," I heard Alice gush at the nickname and tossed her a glance. We were walking outside now, towards Bella's truck. Allie continued to stare at me with intrigued eyes.

Allie leaned in close to Bella to whisper into her ear. It was pointless, since I could hear everything she said, but she didn't know that. "He's very pretty." I heard Bella chuckle along with me.

"Hello, Allie," I said to her, offering my most disarming smile. I felt myself trying my hardest to be normal. I didn't want to scare her.

"Hey, Allie!" Alice chirped, over to Bella's side in a flash. She ruffled Allie's hair and I stared on in shock. So much for not scaring the poor child. However, just like her mother, Allie did not scream and run away. She stared at Alice, shocked for but a moment before a smile broke out on her face. The smile grew wide and she was thrown into a fit of giggles.

"See," Alice said, smug, "I told you she'd like me."

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**I figured that was a good place to end the chapter. The next chapter will have the actual interaction between Allie, Bella, Edward and Alice. What will happen when Mike finds out?**

**Let me know what you think! What do you think will happen? The more you review, the faster I write. So leave a review cookie!**


	9. Ice Cream Fallacies

**Wow! Almost 40 reviews on the last chapter, nice! I'm really enjoying hearing everyone's opinions on what they would like to see happen. Here it is! Chapter 9! This has the actual interaction between Allie and Edward. Enjoy!**

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Bella

"My name's Alice!" Alice chirped in an excited voice. Her mood was spreading like wildfire over the three of us and I couldn't help but smile. Allie gazed at her in amazement, squirming around in my arms in an attempt to get down. I chuckled, setting her gently on her feet.

"And my name's Allie!" Allie giggled, running forward to stand in front of Alice. Alice smiled at her indulgently, looking impressively interested. She had only just said Allie's name moments ago, but she was so eager to please Allie that it didn't matter.

"Allie, huh?" Alice asked, excitement still thick in her voice. She knelt down so they were eye to eye, "That's almost like my name!" Alice shot me a knowing grin.

"I know!" Allie was still giggling. She looked back at me, "Mommy, did you know that?"

"Yes, Allie-baby," I said, leaning down to ruffle her hair. I heard Edward chuckle beside me at the nickname. "I named you after Auntie Alice and Auntie Rosalie."

"I have aunts?" Allie gasped.

"Well, of course, silly," I grinned as she turned back to Alice with a look of astonishment in her eyes.

"Will Auntie Alice eat with us, mommy?" It wasn't a question directed at me, since Allie was still smiling brightly at Alice. I faltered, unsure of what to say. First of all, I couldn't imagine how Mike would react. Second, Alice didn't eat. Not food, at least.

"I'm sorry, honey," Alice said, ruffling her hair. Allie frowned, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to fix it. Everyone was messing it up today, myself included. "We actually have to be somewhere tonight."

Edward watched on in silence, a look of wonder in his golden eyes. A small smile played on his lips and I felt my heart swelling with joy, happy that he was still here with me. I ached to touch him. I wanted to reach over and hold his hand in mine, or to wrap my arms around his waist. I was desperate to be in his arms as much as I could before I had to return back to reality. Before I had to go back to my home, where Mike would be waiting. I felt my stomach twist in fear.

"Maybe tomorrow," Allie muttered sadly, her little lower lip poking out in a pout.

"Allie," Edward's velvet voice was music to my ears as he knelt down next to Alice, a crooked grin playing on his lips. Allie stared at him in silence, her eyes wide. She had said he was handsome before and I realized then that Edward's charm literally worked on everyone. I watched him as he stared at her, admiration and love apparent in his eyes. My heart soared, "How would you like to get some ice cream?"

"Really?" Allie asked, although her cheerful voice made it into an excited squeal. Edward chuckled.

"Anything for you, Allie," he looked up at me with a question in his eyes, "It's okay for her to have ice cream, right?"

They stared at me with identical pouts, although Edward's was mostly fake. I couldn't help but smile. My smile grew until I broke out into laughter. They looked comical together. Perfect. They looked perfect together. "Yes, Allie can have ice cream."

"Ice cream!" Allie yelled, flinging her arms around Edward's neck. His body went rigid for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her waist and held her close in a hug. Allie pulled back a little, looking at Edward with the same large smile, "You're my uncle, right?"

"Edward's a very good friend of mommy's," I answered for him after he had looked to me with a lost expression. Allie turned to me with a frown.

"Does that mean he can't visit?"

"Definitely not," Edward laughed, standing up to his full height. His arms were still held protectively around Allie and he lifted her into the air, scooping her into his arms. She giggled, "I will come see you anytime you want. Just tell your mommy and I'll be there."

"Really?" Allie questioned, innocence in her voice. Mischief entered her eyes, "How fast?"

"Faster than you can blink," Edward grinned. I laughed quietly, knowing it wasn't far from the truth.

"And Aunt Alice?" Allie asked, her eyes hooking back on Alice.

Alice stood, ruffling Allie's hair once again, "I'll be there with him."

"And they'll bring a comb," I said, running my fingers through her hair until it was straight once again. Allie grinned at me.

"So, how about that ice cream?" Edward asked, sliding into the passenger seat of the truck with Allie still secure in his arms.

"Yea, if we don't hurry, it'll melt!" Alice joked, sitting in the driver's seat. Allie's eyes grew wide with fear.

"Drive fast!" Allie shouted. I giggled, sliding into the seat next to Edward. He held onto Allie with one arm, his hand sliding over to hold mine in between our legs, out of Allie's view. A shock of joy shot through me as his cold skin brushed against mine and I felt myself leaning in closer to him.

Alice, of course, could not drive as fast as she wanted to in my old scarp of metal, as she called it. With my poor truck wheezing, we made attempted to make the journey in enough time to appease Allie. She bounced around excitedly on Edward's knee. He kept his arm loose enough to allow the movements, but secure enough that she would be physically incapable of injuring herself. I watched him in silence.

The joy in his eyes was unlike anything I had imagined when I thought of his reaction towards Allie. I had expected him to be reserved and distant; unwilling to get close to the little girl that I shared with another man. I hadn't expected him to attach to her as he was now. He looked like... like a father. Mike had always been decent to Allie, but he had never once looked at her the way Edward was now. He was looking at her with such love and admiration... such caring, that I felt an ache deep in my heart. This was perfect. This was right. This was what I wanted us to be.

"What's your favorite ice cream?" Allie asked, her neck craning as she searched for the ice cream shop. Edward chuckled.

"What's your favorite ice cream?"

"Cookies and cream!" Allie said with a wide grin. She bounced up and down in excitement, her eyes never leaving the road as she continued in her search for the store.

"Really?" Edward feigned shock and I giggled at his attempt. Allie turned to him, curiosity in her eyes. Edward leaned forward, as though he were preparing to tell her a very important secret, "That's my favorite ice cream, too."

"You'll have to have some when you get there," Alice said with a smirk. Edward's smile faded as he shot a glare to Alice.

"And what's your favorite flavor, Alice?" Edward asked, a wry smirk dawning on his face.

"I don't like ice cream," Alice answered simply. I grinned. Of course she saw that one coming.

"You don't like ice cream?" Allie asked, her voice shocked.

"That's leaves more for us," Edward answered, ruffling her hair. I wondered silently if Edward was actually going to eat ice cream for Allie.

"We're here!" Allie shouted excitedly, nearly bouncing out of Edward's arms. I felt a flash of fear chill its way down my spine as my hands flew out to catch her, even though I knew deep down that my reaction was ridiculous. Edward still held her safely in his arms.

Edward had Allie out of the truck and had set her gently on the ground before I could even undo my seatbelt. I slid out and bent down to scoop Allie up into my arms. She turned and clung to Edward's leg, "Mommy, can Edward carry me?"

I looked up to him, questioning him with my eyes. His face was brimming with joy as he smiled down at Allie and I had to take another moment to marvel at how easily they connected with one another. "Sure, Allie. If Edward doesn't mind."

"If Edward doesn't mind?" Edward repeated my sentence with a chuckle, scooping Allie swiftly into his arms. She squealed at the sudden movement, giggling when she was secure against his chest, "Why, I don't mind at all, little miss."

"My name is Allie," she squirmed in his arms to look up at him, a cute scowl on her features.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Edward smiled his perfect crooked grin. I felt my heart swoon. "Do you prefer little miss Allie?"

"My name -..." Allie paused for a moment, thinking over the next nickname before her smile grew wider, "Yes."

"Well, little miss Allie it is, then."

We walked into the ice cream parlor and found the place relatively empty. It was not the best day for ice cream, which was typical for the town of Forks. Most kids wouldn't be visiting this shop until much later in the afternoon. Most families stopped at this shop after dinner.

"Two cookies and cream ice creams in a cup and," Edward paused, turning to look at me.

"Oh, same."

"Make that three cookies and cream ice creams," Edward finished with a grin, his one hand already finding his wallet to pay the cashier. I didn't bother to protest this time.

We sat down at one of the many empty tables, Alice watching Edward with a look of pure disgust as he ate the first spoonful of ice cream. I giggled around my spoon. Edward was going to great lengths to put a smile on Allie's face. I could only imagine how terrible it tasted to him. He had described food as eating dirt once... I shuddered at the thought of eating a cup full of dirt.

"Do you like it?" Allie asked Edward, turning to him with an expectant look. Edward had just finished swallowing and grimacing in time to smile at Allie.

"It's great," Edward forced another grin. I continued to giggle into my ice cream. He shot me a look, but I found nothing but love in his eyes. "But I think I'm done for now."

"Awe!" Allie protested, scooping up a spoonful of ice cream with Edward's spoon and holding it up to him, "Just one more bite?"

Edward hid his frown well. I only barely caught the flash of it before he was smiling crookedly once again. He took the spoon obligingly and stuck it in his mouth, removing it a moment later clean of ice cream. He smiled through the entire ordeal, under Allie's watchful gaze. He amazed me in that moment.

"I don't think he likes ice cream as much as he says he does," Allie noted with a grin, returning to her own frozen treat. Edward stared down at her in amazement.

"Perceptive," he muttered.

"Yes, she is," I smiled, my voice full of pride.

It wasn't long before Allie had finished her ice cream and we had returned to the truck. Allie's little head kept tilting to the side as she drifted off to sleep. I remembered then how tired she had been in the morning. Edward held her in his arms, cradling her like a baby. He hummed my lullaby softly, his fingers stroking softly against the back of my hand.

There, in the most comfortable place I had been in years, I slept peacefully. For once, in four years, I dreamed.

Of him.

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**So, what did you think? How did you like the communication between Edward and Allie? No cliffhanger on this chapter... but don't hesitate to review! Otherwise I'll have to give a big, scary cliffhanger! Maybe. Review and I'll type. Leave a cookie!**


	10. Perfect

**Wow! We're up to 317 REVIEWS! Here it is! Chapter 10! So, what is Edward's true reaction to Allie? From his point of view? Is Mike home, waiting for them? Read on and find out! Enjoy!**

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Edward

I watched in silence as Allie slept in my arms, my dead heart swelling with an affection I'd never felt before. Fatherly affection. Her tiny little body cradled in my arms felt right. It felt as though this was the way things should be. I knelt down to place a cool kiss on her forehead, knowing she wouldn't awake. Her thoughts were all jumbled in a mix of dreams. Peaceful, fully at ease dreams that only a child could have.

"She doesn't look a thing like Mike, does she?" Alice asked. I could hear the smile in her voice, but I didn't want to tear my eyes away from Allie.

"No," I whispered. My voice was too low to disturb Bella or Allie, but I knew Alice would hear me, "No, not at all. She has Bella written all over her."

"I can't believe that Bella had a daughter," Alice whispered. My eyes drifted over to my sleeping angel then.

Her head was resting against my arm, her eyes closed in a peaceful sleep. Her face was so smooth and calm that the bruises were hardly even noticeable in the dim light. A growl rumbled low in my chest before I could stop it. I could kill Mike for what he had done to her. In truth, I probably would. If it weren't for Allie, I would kill Mike before he even knew I was in the same room with him. Then we could leave. Allie, Bella, my family and me. I could make them happy. I would make them happy.

"I'm glad she does," I whispered, my eyes turning back to Allie. "It makes getting her out of this situation a little more complicated, but Allie..."

"I know," Alice whispered, keeping the same tone. Our efforts were probably futile. They were sleeping so soundly that normal volume wouldn't wake them, "She's there for Bella. She's the only real joy Bella's had in her life for four years."

I grimaced. It was true. I had left Bella to endure four years of pain.

"I'll never be able to forgive myself for doing this to her," my voice broke twice.

"You don't need to. You're not the one that needs to give forgiveness," Alice's voice was very matter-of-fact, "She is."

"I know."

"And after today, you should know she's forgiven you," Alice turned to smile at me.

"I don't know," I whispered, my gaze meeting Alice's, "I don't know how she could possibly forgive me for all of this. She was broken by me, broken by Jake, beaten by Mike... all because I left."

"Please, Edward," Alice's voice became harsh, "Do not blame yourself for the mistakes of Jake and Mike. You left to protect her, although it only hurt her more. She can forgive you for that. It was Jake's choice to leave her. You could have done nothing about that."

"I could have stayed," I mumbled.

"Yes, you could have. That doesn't give Mike the right to beat her," she continued, "And that doesn't make it your fault."

"You're going to wake them, Alice," I whispered. Her voice had grown loud in her attempt to convince me. Although her attempt was futile, I appreciated her efforts. "You know me, Alice. I won't forgive myself for this. But, if Bella forgives me..."

"I do," her melodic voice came out in a soft whisper.

"We woke you?" I asked, shooting a look to Alice. Alice grinned and shrugged before turning her eyes back to the road.

"No, I was ready to get up," Bella spoke through a yawn, sitting up to look at me. A small smile touched her lips, "I was scared to wake up. I thought this would be a dream."

I leaned towards her to place a soft kiss against her lips, trying my best not to disturb Allie in her sleep. When I pulled away, I saw that Bella's cheeks were flushed with the beautiful red I had missed so much. "No dream, just me."

"You are my dream," she whispered, leaning against me once again. Her body stayed positioned so that she could look into my eyes.

"Bella?"

"Yes?" Bella turned her gaze to Alice. Alice was watching her with a concerned look on her face.

"Where's Charlie?" It wasn't a question I had expected, but a question I had thought of as well.

"Oh, he's still at my old house," Bella said, a sad smile playing on her lips. "I don't get to see him very much. At least," she gestured to her face, "Not when I look like this. Mike doesn't want him to be suspicious. He stops by often with Allie. I go when I can."

A growl rumbled in my chest, not quiet so low this time. Bella's eyes flew to Allie. Allie continued to sleep silently, a smile wide on her lips. Her dreams were happy ones and I was thankful for that fact.

"Can you hear what she dreams?" Bella questioned. I marveled at her ability to know what I was thinking.

"Yes," I whispered, watching Allie as I spoke, "Her dreams are happy right now. Lots of unicorns and bunnies. To be honest, I feel like I'm watching children's programming."

"You might be," she giggled, "Allie watches a lot of T.V. Unicorns and Bunnies comes on at seven."

"Really?"

"No, Edward," Alice laughed, "She's kidding."

"How would I know?" my voice was defensive, but I smiled a crooked grin. My eyes returned to Bella, "I don't exactly frequent those channels."

There were a few soft laughs and then it grew silent, save for the loud roar of the truck's engine. I wondered fleetingly if Bella would allow me to buy her a new car after this whole ordeal was said and done. I was lost in my thoughts, my gaze having drifted back to Allie's sleeping form, when Bella's sweet voice filled the air once again, "Do you like her?"

"I love her," my answer was immediate and I heard Bella's heart sputter as it used to. I turned to look at her, watching the smile grow bright on her lips. It was beautiful. It belonged. Bella was meant to smile that way.

"She really likes you, too," Bella whispered, her gaze moving to Allie. She reached across to play with her daughter's hair, soft brown strands swirling between her fingers. "Does she," Bella paused, a blush coming to her cheeks, "Does she smell like me?"

"She smells like a mix of you and someone else. I'm assuming Mike. I don't remember his scent," I spoke simply, watching as she continued to play with Allie's hair. Allie moved in my arms, stretching slightly before settling back into her slumber.

"So, it's not hard on you?" Bella whispered. The blush hadn't left her face, but there was worry in her voice, "Holding her?"

"Not at all," I whispered, staring at Bella. I waited in silence until she met my gaze, "It feels right."

"It does," she agreed, her smile growing, "I wish it could have been like this."

"It will be like this, Bella," I continued to whisper, loud enough for her to hear, "You just have to fight for it. We meant what we said. We're getting the both of you out of that house and away from him."

She was silent as she continued to play with Allie's hair, but I could see the joy enter her eyes and hear her heart beat frantically as she thrilled to my words. I moved one of my arms away from Allie, allowing her to settle comfortably in my lap, my other arm still cradling her head. I used my free arm to pull Bella closer. She sighed into my embrace.

"You guys make such an adorable family," Alice laughed, making a face, "Honestly, it's so sweet that it's making me sick."

"You'll get used to it," I smiled a crooked grin down at Bella before brushing my lips against her forehead. Her warm skin, her beautiful scent, her... they were all things I had missed so much. How was it that I made it this long without her?

"Mike's not here?" Alice questioned. I looked up to see that we had arrived at Bella's home. How Alice had known the way didn't surprise me as it surprised Bella. Bella looked around her surroundings with wide, questioning eyes.

"Oh... um..." her voice trailed off, her brow furrowed. I chuckled at her expression as she tried to figure out how Alice knew where she lived, "No, he won't be home for another hour. He works late and helps them close up almost every night."

"Well, we're here," Alice announced unnecessarily, turning off the truck before hopping out of the cab. Bella followed her out the driver's side door, sliding away from me reluctantly.

"Do you want to come in?"

"We weren't actually giving you a choice," Alice chirped, a grin on her lips as she danced to the front door. I slid out of the cab, cradling Allie carefully. She didn't even stir.

"I'll show you her room," Bella whispered to me as she opened the door. "I won't have dinner ready for another hour or so. She can sleep until then."

We made our way up the stairs to Allie's room. Alice danced ahead of us, already knowing the way. The house was nice and warm, filled with Bella's scent. If it weren't for Mike, this home would be a wonderful place for Allie. We passed by a small bathroom with a tub, followed by a large bedroom and a smaller bedroom. I paused here, "Isn't this her room?"

"What?" Bella turned to look at the room I had stopped at, "Oh, no. That's the guest bedroom." She flushed, "I sleep there sometimes when..."

She trailed off at my growl and continued down the hall. I silently hoped that Mike would decide to come home early. I had no restrictions on killing him now, even with Allie sleeping softly in my arms. Alice shot me a warning look and whispered, "Stop it."

"This is Allie's room," Bella said, stopping at the end of the hall. She flicked on the lights, revealing lavender walls, dark purple carpet and pink tones throughout the room. There were pink curtains, a little pink chair and table, and a twin sized pink bed. "I know, it seems a bit stereotypical, doesn't? But they are her favorite colors."

I set Allie gently on her bed after Bella pulled back the covers. Together, we pulled the covers up around Allie's sleeping form. I tucked in the left side of the blankets while Bella tucked in the right. We leaned in together, each placing a kiss on Allie's cheeks. I heard laughter from behind me and stood up to smile a crooked grin at Alice, "What?"

"You have such a goofy grin on your face!" Alice spoke, laughing harder. I looked to Bella, who was blushing yet again, "Oh gosh, you two. No, you three! It's just too sweet, it's just too..."

"Perfect."

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**I really liked writing this chapter. Nothing big happened, but I thought it was very sweet. What's going to happen in the next chapter, when Mike comes home? Trust me, the next chapter will be EXCITING! You are really going to want to read it - seriously. It's going to be fun and hopefully will contain an EVIL CLIFFHANGER OF DOOM! **

**Can we get it to 360 reviews? 370? Leave a review and maybe I'll write it even faster! Let me know what you think! What do you think Mike will do? What should Edward do? COOKIE TIME!**


	11. Hell Comes Home

**372 REVIEWS! You re all so awesome. Seriously. I wrote this chapter as fast as I could so that you get to see what happens. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. This finally has Mike's reaction. What is he going to do to Bella? Will she be all right? Here's Chapter 11! Enjoy!**

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I busied myself in the kitchen, hurrying to throw together a decent meal in the mere half hour that I had. Edward and Alice stood there, watching me with anxious eyes. Up until this point I hadn't had the strength to tell them to go. Having them here, even silent and as unmoving as statues, they were a great comfort to me. The meat sizzled in the frying pan, cracking loudly several times from the heat. I turned down the flame and turned to face them.

"No," Edward spoke swiftly, his voice stern. I blinked and faltered for a moment.

"I didn't say anything," I began innocently, turning back to the stove to flip the meat.

"I know." I could have sworn that I heard a smile in his voice, but when I turned around to face him I found that his face was still disapproving, "I know what you're going to say."

"You can read my mind now?"

"No," he began, his eyes taking on the frustrated look that I knew too well. Frustration at the fact that I was the one mind he couldn't read, and the one he wanted to the most. A small smile crossed his lips, "But I think I can read you."

"Fine," I sighed, defeated, "What was I going to ask, then?"

"You were going to ask us to leave before Mike gets home," he spoke simply, as though it were obvious. Perhaps it was. Either way, I nodded in earnest. His eyes narrowed, "The answer is no."

"He'll call the police!" I protested loudly. Edward's eyes flickered up to the ceiling for a moment. Allie hadn't woken.

I, of course, had no fear that Mike could hurt Edward. Honestly, the thought of Mike beating Edward was absolutely ludicrous. Edward would have Mike dead on the ground before Mike had even realized he entered the room. It wasn't a physical fight I was worried about. He could still cause plenty of problems for the Cullens. I couldn't allow that. I wouldn't.

"Let them come," Edward snapped. "Then Charlie can see what Mike has done to his daughter."

I flinched at the vicious tone in his voice. His face softened instantly. "I'm sorry, Bella," he whispered, and I was in his arms then. He held me close, his hand running through the strands of my hair, "I just hate him for doing this to you. He deserves pain. He deserves worse than pain."

"He's Allie's father," I whispered against his chest.

"Will you stay then?" His voice held a pain so deep that it cut at me, "Will you stay with him, for Allie?"

"I can't do that now, Edward," my voice was soft, but I knew he heard it. Alice was silent. The room was silent, save for the cracking in the frying pan. "I can't stay with him anymore. I should be strong, but I can't deny myself you."

My eyes turned up to meet his, "Edward, I love you. If you'll have us, then we're yours."

"Then you're mine," he mumbled against my lips as he pressed his to mine. I leaned into the kiss, enjoying the chill against my skin. An embrace that I had missed and yearned for. It had been so long.

"You'll live with us, then?" Alice asked after we broke apart for the sake of air. She danced over to us, a bright smile on her lips. "You and Allie?"

"He'll hurt her," I said, nodding slowly, "One day, I know he will. He's nice to her to hurt me, but I don't doubt for a second that he would harm her. I never had a way out before. Now I have something even better."

"I think you better flip the meat, Bella," Alice said, wary eyes staring past me to the stove, "I don't know food too well, but that smells worse than usual."

"Oh no!" I dashed to the pan, flipping the meat a few times in an attempt to salvage it, "Shoot. Burnt."

I frowned, scrapping the remains off of the pan and onto a plate. There were two good pieces and they would go to Mike. I walked over to the fridge to pulling out various ingredients to try to spice up my charcoal dish. "You do have to go, Edward."

"Not a chance," he cut in. I barely had time to finish my sentence.

"Edward, I'll be fine, please," I turned to face him, setting the food on the table. "It will only make things harder if he sees you here. Please."

"Bella, what if he hurts you?" Alice whispered, her voice stressed. I didn't have to ask. I knew she saw my future.

"It would be an off night if he didn't," I tried to make my voice sound light, but I knew I was doing nothing to ease the mood.

"We're not leaving you to get hurt by him. End of discussion," Edward growled, his voice final.

"Edward, listen." I stepped closer to him, placing my hands on either of his arms. I stared into his eyes, urging him to understand. "I will go with you. I'll take Allie and we can fight for custody and I'll be yours. Until then, you have to trust me. You have to let me deal with Mike as I normally would. I can't let this affect Allie. It would be too drastic to have everything happen right now."

He stared into my eyes, his face torn between emotions. Torn between his desire to stay, and possibly kill Mike, and his desire to have things go as smoothly as possible for Allie. Finally, he cupped my face in his hands and leaned forward, placing a kiss once upon my forehead and then once upon my lips. "All right, Bella."

"Really?"

"Really," he smiled the crooked grin I adored, "But, I meant what I said. He'll never harm you again, Bella."

"He's around the corner, Edward," Alice chirped. Her voice had none of the urgency I felt.

"I'll see you soon?" I spoke, my voice pained.

"Sooner than you think," Edward grinned, pressing another kiss to my lips. I closed my eyes, leaning into it.

When I opened my eyes, they were gone.

I raced up the stairs, knowing I had to wake Allie and explain one very important detail before she spoke to Mike. I walked into her room and scooped her off of her bed, cradling her in my arms. Her eyes snapped open at the sudden action, "Allie, mommy needs you to do her a favor."

"What?" she asked through a yawn. I set her down on the edge of the bed and knelt down to stare into her eyes. When I was certain that she was awake, I continued.

"I need you to keep a secret," my voice feigned mystery. Her eyes widened.

"What secret?"

"You can't tell daddy about Edward or Alice," I began. Her face grew disappointed, "They're daddy's old friends. They're here to surprise him. You wouldn't want to ruin their surprise, would you?"

"No, mommy," she mumbled. I could tell she was disappointed, but I felt assured that she would keep our secret for now.

"Well, come on, baby," I stood, taking her small hand in mine, "Dinner's waiting downstairs and daddy's home."

"Daddy!" Allie squealed and she took off down the hallway. I heard her pattering downstairs just as the front door opened.

I walked down the stairs slowly, watching as Allie tugged on Mike's pant leg in a desperate attempt to get his attention. He kept shooing her away with one hand, his other hand holding up a letter from the mail. He read it halfheartedly, ignoring Allie until he noticed me. When he saw I was watching, he tossed the letter aside and scooped Allie into his arms, swinging her around in a circle, "Allie! How was your day!"

Allie squealed in joy, finally getting the attention she deserved, "It was great, daddy!"

"Did you do anything special?"

She paused, her eyes flickering to me, "No."

Mike caught it.

He set her down on the ground and patted her on the head roughly. She winced and scurried off to the dinner table. I followed silently after her, unafraid. Mike would never dare to hurt me in front of her.

We ate in complete silence. Allie tried once or twice to start a conversation, but Mike continually shushed her. He read the paper at the table, as he did every night. Allie eventually gave up with the ruined, charred meat and toyed with the remains of her food. I sat there, my plate full and my stomach empty. I was unable to eat. I knew what was coming after Allie was tucked safely away in her bed.

In all of my excitement, I had forgot. Stupid, stupid girl... I forgot that Mike had seen us. How could something so pivotal escape my attention? I should have had Edward stay. I should have begged Edward to stay. I could only imagine the things that Mike was going to do to me tonight.

All the horrible scenarios, all the horrible thoughts ran through my head as I stared out the window of our bedroom. Dinner was finished, lost in my thoughts, and Mike was tucking Allie into bed for the night. I waited for the pain to come. It wouldn't be long before he opened the door and attacked me. Perhaps he would yell this time and prolong the inevitable. Such an amazing day had to have a consequence somewhere within it. Mike was that consequence.

"I saw you with him," Mike's voice was beside me. I stumbled away from the window and took long, swift strides back towards the closet door. I marveled at my ability to walk backwards and not fall.

"With who, Mike? What are you talking about?" Innocence. I had to play innocent. It was all I had to go on now. He advanced toward me.

"You don't think I know?" His voice was vicious, coming in as a harsh snarl. He leaned closer, screaming into my face, "You slut! You whore! You don't think I saw you with him? I'll teach you!"

"Mike, please, don't," I whispered, holding up my hands in defense. Tears slipped from my eyes as I stepped back once, twice more. I tripped and fell to the floor. I stared up at him, terrified. Why did I let Edward leave? What was I thinking?

"I should throw you out on the streets! I should take Allie from you forever!" He spat, his voice growing louder as he screamed over me. It wasn't like him to yell for so long. It scared me. It usually meant the beating would be that much worse. "But I won't do that. I'm going to teach you to respect me! You're mine!"

"Mike, you'll wake Allie."

"So? Let the little bitch wake up and see her slut mommy crying!" He leaned over me, screaming still, "Who the hell cares? You're a waste! You're nothing! No wonder he left you, you stupid little whore! Who could ever want you?"

"Shut up!" my voice surprised me and my eyes grew wide in shock. Rage twisted his features.

He drew his fist back and I braced my body for the impact that would come. It wouldn't be a slap, as it usually was. It would be hard and, in the wrong place, fatal. I had no doubt of the human frailties I had. His hand flew and I flinched. In that moment, I heard a snap and then nothing.

I wondered, momentarily, if the noise was me. I looked back at Mike. He stood there, arm still raised, with blank eyes. A blank face, entirely. He wasn't there. He wasn't conscious. He stood for only a moment after the snap had occurred. Then, he tumbled to the ground in a tangled mess of limbs. He laid motionless. Behind him, stood Edward.

Edward's eyes were wide with anger and rage as he stared down at Mike. I realized then that he was growling, snarls ripping out of his chest. His right hand was still held out in the air, exactly where Mike's neck had been only moments before. The room went silent, save for my strangled gasps of air. My eyes were wide with fear as I waited for Edward to look at me.

Finally, his eyes found me and when they did, a crooked grin flashed on his lips. His eyes remained dark, furious, "I told you I wouldn't let him hurt you."

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**Is that a cliffhanger? I'd say so! What just happened? Is Mike dead? Is Mike alive? What do you think? Let me know what you thought of the chapter, please! **

**Can we make it past 400? 420? The more reviews I get, the faster you can find out what happened! Leave a cookie!**


	12. Internal Struggle

**453 REVIEWS! OMC (Oh My Carlisle!), you are all so amazing. Your support is really encouraging. I'll be replying to the rest of them after I post this chapter... but I promised this to most of you today, so this comes first!**

**All right, I know some of you are going to be a little angry at me. You are going to be left off at the SAME cliffhanger. But don't blame me... when I started writing Edward's part, it started before the actual fight. I actually really like this chapter. It was very interesting to see the whole thing from Edward's point of view. Please, let me know what you think! Enjoy!**

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Edward

"Edward, now would be the best time," Alice whispered softly from my side. We stood there in the backyard, staring up in silence at the window to Bella's room. The light flickered on and a moment later Bella was standing in front of the window. I knew she wouldn't see us in our cover under the trees. I watched her, outlined by bright rays of golden light. She was breathtaking.

"I should go," I spoke abruptly, taking a step toward the house. Alice grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"Now is the best time for her to experience this," Alice whispered, her voice grim, "He is going to say some awful things to her. She needs to hear them."

"I won't let him hurt her! There's no chance in hell that I'll let him hurt -"

"I'm not telling you to let him hurt her, Edward," Alice interrupted, "He'll yell before he strikes. Let him yell, then save her."

"It's hurting her to let him yell!" I protested.

"It's helping her in the end," Alice's voice remained calm, but held a ring of authority that it hadn't had before. She stepped in front of me, her eyes narrowed. Her hand stayed latched to my arm for fear that I would run. "It'll upset her, Edward, but that's what she needs. She's not fully decided in getting Allie out of there. Trust me, I would know."

She tapped the side of her head for emphasis.

"But she said -"

"Edward," she interrupted me again. I growled in frustration. "She wants to be with you. With us. That's decided. That's always been decided. She's scared of fighting for Allie. She sounded decided, but she's not. Not yet. This will make her decide.

"You want to force her decision with violence!" I accused, my voice incredulous.

"It's not going to become violent, Edward," she began. I opened my mouth to object, but she silenced me with a look, "I'll make sure you get in there before he does any harm to her. He yells at her all the time, Edward. It's upsetting, but it won't hurt her. She'll be fine."

"You're still trying to force her to decide."

"No, I'm not!" she snapped back before sighing. "Edward, I would not force Bella to do something she didn't want to do. I care about her too, you know."

"I know that, Alice," I whispered, my eyes turning back to the window. Bella still stood there. Still elegant. Still beautiful. "But if she hasn't decided, we can't force her to."

"She has decided for herself," Alice mumbled, releasing my arm. She must have realized that I decided to listen to her. "Like I said, she's scared about fighting for Allie. She's worried she'll lose her. She's worried she'll leave Allie in a hell."

"I'll kill Mike before that happens." I growled.

"Oh, I know that," Alice giggled for a moment before her face became serious, "You don't want to be too late, Edward. Mike will hurt Allie. Maybe not now, but someday."

"Hurt Allie?" I stared at Alice, my voice doubtful, "Alice, I know Mike is horrible, but Allie is his leverage over Bella. Why would he ever hurt Allie? Why would he want to?"

"To hurt her."

"It hurts her more to hold Allie over her head," I retorted.

"Edward, I saw his choices. As soon as I knew about Allie and Mike, I began checking their futures," Alice's voice became as dark as her eyes, "He thought about killing her."

My mind went racing with those five simple words. It took Alice a minute of shaking my body to get me to focus on her eyes. "Edward!" she whispered urgently, "Edward, be quiet! Do you have any idea how loud you are? You'll give us away!"

She was right, of course. The snarls were ripping violently from my throat. I didn't care. How could Mike ever think of harming that innocent little girl? How could he think of bringing any pain into her life? I realized then that Alice was gripping me in place, my body struggling to break free. Mike was in that room. Mike was tucking Allie in bed. Mike was whispering a bedtime story to the daughter he had thought of harming.

"Let me go, Alice."

"No, Edward," she forced me to look at her, her eyes wide with fear, "You don't want to do this right now, Edward. Don't ruin everything. We just got back!"

"I won't ruin everything," my eyes narrowed, "Just one thing. One simple, insignificant little thing."

"That little thing is Allie's father," Alice corrected, "Or did you forget?"

"She doesn't have to know who killed him."

"Edward, this will work," Alice continued, "We can get Allie and Bella out of there safely. Let's worry about them. Let's keep them happy. Then I don't care what you do to Mike afterwards. Heck, I'll help you!"

"But -"

"Edward, you'll ruin Bella!" I stared at her, eyes wide, "Who do you think they'll suspect if Mike dies? Bella! Who else? She has bruises to prove she's been beaten by him. She has motive. She'd be suspected. Do you want to uproot Allie? Bella? Do you want to make them run? Make them hide until they escape this? Make this easy on them, Edward."

Her grip loosened as my growls finally ceased. I stopped struggling against her and let my arms fall loosely to my sides. She was right. There was no reason to turn this into a murder case. Especially not when Bella would be the suspect. We would have to take Allie and run. We would have to hide for who knew how long, always worrying. I didn't want to do that to Bella. We would have to wait.

"Fine," I answered, my voice still sharp with anger, "You're right."

"I know."

"So, how long do I have to wait?" I asked, watching as Bella started to turn away from the window.

"It's about to start," Alice whispered, "Stay calm. I'll tell you when to go in there."

"I think you're underestimating my self-control," I muttered, "Perhaps you should have gotten Emmett and Jasper to restrain me."

"Seems that way," Alice chuckled.

"I saw you with him," Mike's voice was quiet from this distance, but I picked it up easily. He wasn't yelling yet. I watched as shock crossed Bella's face and felt the pain of it rip at my chest. She stumbled away from the window and I felt my legs begin to move. Alice was there to restrain me.

"Not yet."

"With who, Mike? What are you talking about?" My angel's voice sounded from the room, full of fear. She was trying to play innocent, but as I had said before... acting would not be a good career choice for her.

"You think I don't know?" Mike's voice was rising now. "You slut! You whore!" The snarls began to tear from my chest again and I heard Alice shout something in warning to me as I fought to get to the window. Her words were foreign now. "You don't think I saw you with him? I'll teach you!"

"Edward!" Alice shouted in my ear, trying to keep her voice as quiet as possible while still getting through to me. She shook me, trying to keep me back, "Edward, not yet! She's fine! Please, Edward!"

"Mike, please don't," Bella's voice was nothing but a terrified whisper, but I could still hear her beautiful voice. I heard a thump and knew she had fallen to the floor.

"Alice! Alice, let me go!"

Even in my fury, I was unwilling to hurt Alice. She was latched onto me with all of her strength and although I could get away if I wanted to, I would more than likely hurt her in the process. "I should throw you out on the streets! I should take Allie from you forever!" I heard Bella's sobs in response to his cruel words.

"Edward, not yet!"

"But I won't do that. I'm going to teach you to respect me! You're mine!" Mike's voice roared and I barely heard Bella's pleading voice that followed.

"Mike, you'll wake Allie."

"So? Let the little bitch wake up and see her slut mommy crying!" I heard a snap from somewhere within my mind. I could only assume it was the last of my resolve cracking away. With an enraged growl, I pulled my body from Alice's arms and took off at top speed. The rest of the words came at me in a blur.

"Edward! Edward, no! Don't do this!" Alice screamed, begging.

I raced on.

"Who the hell cares? You're a waste! You're nothing! No wonder he left you, you stupid little whore!" The words lashed out of Mike's mouth in screams. I was in the room then, finding myself behind Mike before I had even realized it. My eyes narrowed. "Who could ever want you?"

"Shut up!" Bella's voice was a song, even in anger. I could feel the anger radiating off of Mike then. It was nothing compared to my own.

I hardly paid attention to what I was doing then. I wasn't thinking, as my hand flew out to the back of Mike's neck. My fingers twisted across the delicate flesh of a frail human body and I felt his body grow limp against my hand. His body slumped over a moment later, toppling to the ground with a sickening thud. Bella stared up at me with wide eyes, but I didn't look up from Mike's body. I could feel her gaze on me.

Bella. My darling, sweet, beautiful Bella. I could smell the tears that stained her cheeks. Anger stayed twisted on my features as I stared at the motionless body of Mike. My right hand remained in the air, where it had done its damage. I lowered it slowly, my eyes moving from Mike to my Bella. She was safe. She was terrified, but safe.

I offered her the only thing I could think of at the moment. A crooked grin crossed my features, the one I knew she loved. My smile did not reach my eyes. I knew she would still see the anger there. But for her, I smiled. "I told you I wouldn't let him hurt you."

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**Oh no... am I evil? A little bit? A tiny bit? Yes, you are left with the same shocking cliffhanger. Is Mike dead? Is Mike alive? What are your thoughts? **

** Since you have already given me your guesses on the last chapter, let's play a game this chapter! THE GAME: How would you kill Mike? Or, if you wouldn't kill him, how would you torture him? **

**Leave a cookie and let me know! The faster you review, the faster I'll type! The faster you find out... what happened to Mike.**


	13. Decisions

**I wrote this as quick as I could for all my lovely reviewers... so, please forgive me for not replying to your reviews yet! I will soon. But... this was more important, right? Yes, you finally get to find out what happened to Mike! Here it is! Chapter 13. Enjoy!**

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I stared up at Edward in shocked disbelief, trying to move from my place on the ground. I couldn't. I stayed chained in place, my eyes staring and my lungs pulling in agonizingly slow breaths. Edward didn't make a move and I could see the anger warring in his eyes as he fought for control. My gaze lowered to Mike's motionless body, Mike's dead body, and felt a wave of emotions sweep through me. There were so many, so quickly passing by, that I hardly caught them. Joy and relief came first, but they were nothing compared to the strong feelings that followed them. Terror and fear.

"You... you..." my voice sounded strange, shaking with my trembling body. My hands rose up to cover my mouth, shaking in the process. A strange noise, a strangled, gasping sob sounded from beneath my hands.

"Bella?" Edward whispered, voice cautious and eyes wary. He still didn't move. He stood there, still. As still as Mike.

"You killed him!" I accused, my voice breaking. I hung my head in my hands, "Oh, Allie. Oh, god! They're going to think I killed him! They're going to... they're going..."

"Bella," Edward whispered, his voice pained. I looked up, staring at him through my tears. He was no longer a statue. The anger that had been in his eyes was gone now, replaced by a pained affection. He crossed the short distance between us and dropped to his knees, pulling my trembling figure into his arms, "Oh, Bella..."

His comfort only fueled my hysterics.

"I can't leave Allie," I gasped, my head pressed against his chest, "They'll take her from me! They'll think I killed him! They'll take her... they'll take her! Oh, god, Edward!"

I weeped against his chest and his hand moved soothingly through my hair. Although my body continued to shiver with my hysterics, I began to realize that something else was shaking me. His chest was moving in quiet laughter. I pulled my head from his chest to stare at him with wide eyes, questioning his sanity, "You think this is funny?"

"No, Bella. No," he chuckled, brushing the hair out of my face and pressing a kiss to my forehead. His golden eyes sparkled with his laughter and I continued to stare at him with large, questioning eyes. "It's just... you always disagree with the fact that I'm a monster. You're so adamant when you say that I have a soul. Yet, you so easily believe that I killed him..."

"Didn't," I paused, stuttering as I stared at Mike's motionless body, "Didn't you?"

Again, he chuckled, his body shaking mine with his laughter. His eyes sparkled, "Don't be ridiculous, Bella."

"He's alive?" my breath came in a terrified gasp.

"Would you like me to change that?" His voice was amused, the corners of his mouth twitching with a smile, "You need only ask, Bella."

I knew it was true.

"No," I answered slowly, my voice unsure. He looked at my questioningly. I elaborated, "I didn't care about him. I was... happy... to see him gone. I just know that if he were to suddenly die," my voice trailed off, breaking twice.

"You would be suspected," he finished for me.

I nodded, "I can't do that to Allie."

"I know," he whispered, pressing another kiss to my head. "Alice brought up that point while we were waiting outside. It was the only thing that stopped me from killing him."

I shivered at the tone darkening his voice. Then, his words caught up with me. "You were outside?" I asked, "You didn't leave? At all?"

He rolled his eyes and flashed me a crooked grin, "Bella, do you know me at all?"

"It's been so long," I whispered and he winced, "I guess I need a reminder."

"Let this be your reminded," he whispered, his voice husky and bordering on seductive. His lips captured mine when I parted my lips to speak. His delicious taste invaded my mouth, enveloping me and clouding my mind. I could no longer remember what to say. All I could remember was him. His taste, his scent, which was all around me now. My lips moved against his and he responded hungrily. I was barely aware of the pain in my chest, the burning need to breath. He remembered.

Of course.

I moaned in protest when his lips parted from mine. He rested his forehead against my own, gasping for air that he didn't need. My breathing was heavy, my gaze locked with his. He stared at me from under thick, dark lashes. I felt my insides melt. His eyes were a smoldering golden fire. "I will always be there, Bella. Whether you ask me or not, I will always be there to make sure that you will always be safe."

He chuckled then, his breathing steady now, "Remember that."

"And if I forget again?" my voice was teasing.

"Then I'll take your breath away." His velvet voice sent a thrill down my spine.

"Alice is still here?"

"She's waiting outside," Edward mumbled, "She's mad at me."

"What for?"

He looked at me with a small grin, "For overreacting."

"Thank you," I whispered, my lips brushing against his at this close distance, "For rescuing me. For overreacting."

"Any and every time."

"Does she want to come in?" My eyes flitted briefly to the window.

"No," he mumbled against my lips, his hands sliding around my waist. "She'll be leaving soon."

"Will you?"

"Never," he grinned, pulling me closer. "After that? I'll probably make it a habit of hiding in your closet. Either way, I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Even after I leave him?" my voice was hopeful.

"Are you going to leave him?" his was, too.

"Yes," I whispered, "I'm telling him in the morning."

"Should I plan to knock him out again?" he chuckled. I grinned, looking over at Mike. Still motionless.

"Are you sure he's not dead?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Edward sighed sadly, "He'll be out until morning. Alice has already seen it." He tapped the side of his head for emphasis. He had been reading her mind.

"Will you stay the night?" I asked hopefully. If Mike wasn't going to wake, we would be safe. Even if he did wake, Edward would keep me safe. I couldn't bear to be apart from him now.

"I actually wasn't going to give you a choice," he chuckled, scooping me into his arms and standing. He cradled me to his chest, gazing at the bed warily. "Do you want to sleep her or in the guest room?"

"The guest room." I was in no mood to sleep in the bed I had to share with Mike every night. He stared for the door and paused, his gaze on Mike now. There was anger in his eyes again and I could see that he was going through an internal battle of right and wrong in his mind.

Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, muttering quickly and somehow perfectly articulating every word, "Do you want me to put Mike in his bed?"

"No," I scoffed at the idea. He looked to me, surprised, "Let him spend a night on the floor for once. He's earned it."

"I thought for sure that you would ask me to put him in his bed." he mused.

"You don't know everything he's put me through," I tried to sound conversational, but my voice broken in pain. I felt Edward's body stiffen around me, a growl rumbling low in his chest. "I have no pity for him. Only for Allie."

"No pity?"

"No."

"None at all?" he was trying to hide a smile now.

"Not a bit," I scrutinized his expression, "Why?"

"Just wondering," Edward mused, his voice trailing off. I watched him expectantly, waiting for him to decide when he would ask his question. Finally, he turned to me, his smile wide, "Can I kick him?"

"Kick him?" I raised my eyebrows in surprise. A giggle escaped my lips, "As long as it won't wake him."

Edward stood there for a moment, his eyes staring out the window. After a moment, I realized that he was obtaining Alice's feedback. "Let's see..." he spoken in velvet tones, walking over to Mike, "No, it won't wake him."

I winced back as Edward took a swift kick into Mike's gut. Mike groaned in pain, although it was possibly just air escaping his lungs in his current state. I turned my attention to stare at Edward. He had a grin of relief on his face now, "That helps."

"I can only imagine."

"If you want, Alice can take you shopping," fear crossed my face and he hurried to continue, "For steel toed boots. The next time I knock him out, you can take a few good kicks. I bet it would help."

"You don't have to do that," I whispered, pressing my lips to his neck. I heard a sharp intake of air and smiled, "Just save me."

He stared down at me, passion burning in his eyes. He didn't answer with words.

Just a kiss.

It said everything I needed to hear.

---

**I think that's a good place to end the chapter. **

**I was so interested to see all of your guesses. So many people thought that Mike actually died... There's still far too much that is going to happen just yet. How will Mike react when Bella tells him she's leaving him? What do you think? Let me know! **

** Oh, and the game is still on! I haven't chosen a winner yet, but I will... by Chapter 15, I suppose. How would you kill Mike? How would you torture him? Leave a cookie!**


	14. Love and Reactions

**First off, I'd like to apologize (AGAIN:( ) to all those who have reviewed for Chapters 12 & 13 who have not received replies yet. I swear, I haven't forgotten you and I WILL reply soon. It's just been a very, very busy week. In fact, I have to leave in only a few minutes, but I wanted to get this up before I left. **

** So, don't think I'm ignoring you, or that I've forgotten. I will reply. And please don't stop reviewing - all your wonderful reviews are helping me write faster! Does it show?**

**This was a fun chapter. For those of you wondering what happened at the Cullen house after Bella, Edward and Alice left to pick up Allie, you'll find out here. Let me know what you think! Here it is! Chapter 14! Enjoy!**

---

I carried Bella into the guest room, relishing in the feeling of relief that finally began to wash over me. The relief, of course, would not be complete until I had taken Mike apart limb by limb, but that would have to wait until Bella and Allie were safe in our home. I made a mental reminder to talk to Carlisle when I arrived at the house. We would need to arrange for the best lawyer in the states. In the country, if necessary. Bella would have Allie. I would have Bella.

All would be right again.

"Are you scared?" I asked her as I set her down on her bed. She stared up at me with those beautiful, deep brown eyes.

"A little," she paused, "About Mike, you mean?" I nodded, urging her to continue. She sighed, her gaze drifting off to the side, "Okay, I'm terrified."

"Why?" I lowered myself onto the bed next to her, my fingers stroking along her cheek. "Bella, he won't hurt you. I'll be there, if you want me to."

"No!" She shouted, her eyes wide with shock, "If he sees you, he'll say I committed adultery. He'll find a way to make it worse."

"Well, just know that I will be there, even if he can't see me." I reminded her, trying not to be taken aback or hurt by her words. It was silly to be hurt when I knew she loved me.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, "But I'm not scared about him hurting me, Edward. It... hurts, of course, but that's not what frightens me."

"You're scared about what he could do to Allie." I offered, knowing it was true. Alice had told me as much earlier. Bella had been undecided until tonight. As Alice had predicted, her confrontation with Mike had forced her into a decision. I only hoped it was a good one.

"He could take her from me forever," her gaze lowered to the blankets as she twisted a stray piece of fabric nervously about her finger. "He would hurt her, I know he would. After the things he said tonight. He was so horrible. He just... uses her. I wonder if he cares for her at all."

I winced, turning away. I knew how Mike felt about Allie. Even through my anger and desire to get to Bella before he harmed her, I had taken note of his mind. There was no happy thought of Allie. He manipulated her into loving him for the sole purpose of causing Bella pain. I tried to hide my eyes from Bella, afraid she would see the horrible truths within them. Perhaps she knew me too well.

"What are you hiding?" she asked, her trembling voice a note quieter than before. She leaned around me, trying to catch my eyes. "Edward, what do you know?"

"It's nothing, Bella." I turned to her, my eyes holding a false reassurance in them. She didn't believe it for a second. I sighed, "He has no good thoughts about Allie, Bella. Alice said he's thought terrible things. Horrible. He's not good for Allie, Bella. He's not good for you."

"What kind of things?"

Death. He wanted to kill her.

But I couldn't bear to tell Bella that. She was shaken enough with the mere thoughts of abuse. If she knew that Mike had thought of killing Allie at one time, it would shatter her. So, I gave her half of the truth, "The things you already said you fear. She saw him getting violent with Allie."

I watched as her face crumbled in pain and felt my dead heart go along with it. I pulled Bella into my embrace, my hands tracing through the beautiful, long strands of her hair. I whispered her name against her forehead, decorating her skin with soft kisses. Finally, I felt her relax yet again. I pulled back to stare at her. The pain was still there, but she was better.

"Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?" she had been silent for a moment. I had lost myself in her deep gaze.

"Can we do something tomorrow?" she lowered her eyes to the blanket, breaking me out of my trance. My brow furrowed in confusion. What could she want to do? It didn't really matter, of course. Whatever it was, I would more than likely agree.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I want Allie to know you better," she began slowly, her gaze still lowered. "All of you. If we're still invited to live at your house, then-"

"If?" I cut her off, my fingers cupping her chin and gently tilting her head up so that I could gaze into her eyes. They were unsure. "Bella, there is no if. You are welcome to live in our home. And when I say our home," I pulled her closer to emphasize my point, "I mean, _our_ home."

A beautiful red blush painted her cheeks, "Can she meet them tomorrow? Everyone?"

"Everyone," I agreed. "We'll all be there."

"When do I tell her," she questioned herself, her voice soft, "How do I tell her?"

"You need to tell Mike first, but give Allie time," I whispered into her hair, breathing in her scent as I leaned my head to hers, "Let her meet them. We can take her out to the zoo, or the park... anywhere she wants to go. We'll let her get used to us."

"I'm afraid Mike won't give us that long."

"Yes, I'm afraid of that, too," I sighed, my fingers running through her hair again and stirring the scent. "We'll just have to hope for the best when it comes to Allie. We can't rush her, but that might not be our choice."

"She loves you," Bella whispered through a yawn. She was drifting off now, after a hard day of stress. So much had happened.

"I know, love," I kept my voice soft. I began to hum her lullaby, occasionally whispering her beautiful name. It wasn't long until she had drifted off to sleep.

I waited until I was sure that she wouldn't wake until the morning and then quietly removed myself from the bed. Mike was still unconscious in the next room and I had to fight the strong desire to go in there and finish the job. I walked over to the door, opening it and closing it softly behind me. I would have to talk to Carlisle about the lawyer sooner than I thought.

"Edward?"

I whirled around, shocked at myself. Why had I not heard her thoughts? Was I that wrapped up in my own mind that I had locked out everyone else completely. Allie stood in the doorway to her room, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Allie, what are you doing awake?" I whispered, walking over to her. She stared up at me in silence for a long moment before holding her arms out to me. I scooped her up immediately, not needing a second invitation.

"I don't like to sleep at night," Allie whispered as I carried her back into her room. I set her into her bed, tucking the blankets securely around her.

"Why not?" I asked, taking a seat on her bed next to her.

"I stay awake," Allie answered, as though it were obvious. "In case mommy needs me."

Reading her thoughts was almost unnecessary. Her mind was an open book, but she told the whole story. Every thought that ran through her mind passed through her lips a moment later. Hiding our true thoughts must be a learned gift.

"What do you mean?" I asked, smiling at her, "Your mommy always needs you... that doesn't mean you shouldn't sleep."

"Mommy cries the most at night."

I tried to keep the growls from ripping out of my chest. It would not be a good thing to terrify Allie, especially since this was my first day in meeting her. "Your mommy's been sad a lot."

She nodded, her eyes lowering to her blankets.

"I won't let her be sad anymore," I promised.

She opened her mouth to speak, pausing to stare up at me. Her eyes amazed me in their light color. They were so unlike Bella's and yet the same. So deep. "Mommy's been waiting for you to save her."

I stared at her, my lips parted in an attempt to form a sentence. If my eyes could create tears, I would be crying. Her voice was so honest, so sweet. I reached forward and pulled Allie into my arms, hugging her close to me.

I held her like that for a long moment, listening as her breathing changed in its pace. It slowed along with her heartbeat and I knew that she was sleeping. I released her from my embrace and lowered her back onto her pillow. I pulled the covers around her small frame, placing a quick kiss upon her forehead before walking to the door, "Goodnight, Allie."

"Goodnight, daddy."

I felt a wave of joy run through me at the word and I couldn't help but chuckle. She talked in her sleep, just like Bella.

I raced the rest of the way back to my home. Alice had left while I had been singing Bella her lullaby. She had assured me that all was fine and that Mike would not wake until the later morning hours. I would be back to Bella before any harm could even think about coming to her.

"Edward!" Esme greeted me at the door, enveloping me in a hug. She pulled back and looked at me with concerned eyes, "How is Bella?"

"She's doing better."

"And how are you?" Carlisle asked, placing his hands on Esme's shoulders.

"So, Alice told you then?" I asked, although I already knew the answer. He only grinned in response. "Has she also told you what I came to talk to you about?"

"I have Ralph Clint reserved for an early morning appointment in two days," Carlisle began, "Is that too soon?"

"Not at all," I grinned, walking into the house, "Ralph Clint? That's certainly sparing no expense. He's the best I've heard of."

"Nothing less for her." Alice chirped from the staircase. She gave me a small wave, grinning, "You should see what Emmett did to the kitchen. We missed it, you know. Esme threw a fit."

"He tore the kitchen in half," Esme huffed. Carlisle pulled her close to him, "Who wouldn't throw a fit?"

"It was just the fridge, Esme!" Emmett called from the kitchen.

"And the kitchen island! And the stove!" Alice called back.

I chuckled under my breath, walking into the kitchen to find Emmett in the middle of the mess. He was obviously in the process of cleaning, "And what was all this for?"

"Emmett threw a temper tantrum," Rosalie scoffed from the only remaining chair in the kitchen. Emmett glowered.

"I can see that." I mused. This was too good. I tried my best to block out their thoughts so that I could enjoy the story myself, "Why?"

"Well, I couldn't go and kill Newton," Emmett growled, tossing a piece of rubble into one of the piles he had stacked. "So, I tore apart the fridge."

"And the stove. And the kitchen island," Rosalie rattled off for him, counting each one on her fingers.

"Wish you would have saved something for me," I muttered, looking around at the mess. The fridge was shred into four pieces. The stove was strewn all across the floor. The kitchen island looked like little more than dust and clumps of wood.

"He saved your CD collection." Rosalie smirked.

"Don't." I warned, shooting a glare at her.

"So, Allie's coming here tomorrow, then?" Emmett asked, still organizing the rubble.

"Yea, is that all right?" I asked more out of courtesy than anything else. If Bella wanted Allie to visit, Allie would be visiting.

"Of course it's all right," Emmett let out a booming laugh, "Why do you think Esme has me cleaning the kitchen now? We need a new one ready to cook Allie lunch tomorrow."

"The house is going to smell like food again," Rosalie muttered, a disgusted look on her face.

"You'll get used to it," I grinned, walking out of the room. Esme and Carlisle had moved to the couch. Alice sat on the stairs with Jasper.

"Alice said you wanted to talk to me," Jasper spoke as he stood up from the steps.

"Bella's planning on telling Mike in the morning," I started, "It's going to be hard on her. I want to make it as easy as possible. Could you come and make Mike... agreeable?"

"I think I can arrange that."

"Thanks," I breathed an unnecessary sigh of relief. I knew his answer without even asking, of course. We spoke less before Bella had come into our lives. I read everyone's thoughts and held conversations with minds. When Bella came into my life, I had my family speak for her benefit. It had become habit now.

I was out the door and running back to Bella's house a moment later. The cool wind pushed through my hair, pushing me towards my love. Towards the one thing that gave my life true meaning. The house was silent with the sleeping occupants. I climbed up into the guest bedroom and pulled Bella back into my arms.

I was whole again.

---

**So, what did you think? The next chapter will have Mike waking up and Bella telling him that she wants a divorce. What will be his reaction? How will Allie react to all of the Cullens? How fast do you want to find out? How fast can you review? Can we get 600? 610? Leave a cookie! Oh! And the torture Mike game is still on!  
**


	15. Battered and Bruised

**Holy crow! 643 REVIEWS! You are all so awesome! I've finally caught up and replied to everyone. Yay! The winner of the torture game is...**

**Lady Murray with the entry: **"Mike should be dragged down to the Cullen's basement, where Alice will dress him in clothes from the 1980's and then beat him with a cactus and a crocket mallet. She will then proceed to demand him to say who the fairest of them all is, and if he doesn't say Alice, then she will tie him to a pole outside and let the raccoons and crows have him."

**All the entries were so great, but this one just made me laugh so much. For some reason, I could see Alice doing that. Hilarious, creative and torturous! **

**Here it is! Chapter 15! This is the morning after... enjoy!**

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Bella

The morning light filled the room and brought with it a stark sense of reality. I groaned in disappointment, trying to reach out and hang onto the marvelous dream. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to him... to this beautiful, incredible dream. My hands brushed against the smooth sheets of the guest bedroom bed and my brow furrowed in confusion. I hadn't fallen asleep in the guest bedroom. Mike had hit me and I must have fallen asleep on the floor. I must have... right? An intoxicating sweet scent filled my nose, indescribable in its perfection. It was luscious. It was perfect. It was him.

My head whirled and my heart started beating sporadically as a thrill ran through me. It was real. He was back in Forks – back with me. He had met Allie. He had saved me from Mike. He had stayed the night with me.

"Breathe, Bella," he chuckled beside me. My eyes snapped open and met his smoldering gaze. Another thrill spread through my system as I sucked in a gasp of air. The cool oxygen was a relief to the burning pain I hadn't noticed until he pointed it out. He leaned forward to brush his lips to mine and I felt my head spin, my vision blurring as my eyes fell shut.

"Bella?" my eyes fluttered open. Again, he chuckled, "What am I going to do with you?"

"Take me away from here?"

"Is that a question or a demand?" he mused to himself, pulling me closer into his embrace.

"A demand," I answered immediately. He grinned.

"Well, then pack your bags and I shall whisk you off to my house," he whispered into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. I wanted so desperately to grab my suitcase and leave with him right now. When his lips brushed along my jaw, I could hardly remember a reason to stay.

Barely.

Allie.

"I want to, Edward. Trust me, I do-"

"I know," he cut me off. There was a sadness in his voice, but his face was hidden against my neck, "We can't just take Allie out of her home. Let her meet the family first, after you tell Mike. Let her adjust to use and then we can pack your bags."

"Edward, there's so much to do," I whispered, turning to face him. He lifted his head to stare into my eyes, brushing a hand reassuringly against my cheek, "I need to get a lawyer, fill out the paperwork, tell Mike..."

"We have already arranged for a lawyer, Bella."

"You..." I stared at him, wide eyed, "When?"

"I went by the house last night, after you were asleep," I opened my mouth to remind him that he promised not to leave. He held a finger to my lips. "I was gone for only a moment, Bella. I needed to tell them that Allie would be coming over today and I had Carlisle contact a lawyer for you."

"It's not going to cost too much, is it?" Knowing Edward, it would, "I hardly have anyth-"

"Bella, please," he chuckled, brushing his lips to my forehead before sliding gracefully out of the bed. "We are paying for it. No arguments," he countered before I could open my mouth, "Think of Allie, if you don't want to accept it. He's the best lawyer in the states. This will be settled before you know it."

I watched as he grimaced, as though a terrible thought had crossed his mind. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a slim, silver object. "What's that?"

"A camera," he murmured, fiddling with the buttons. He then looked up to me, an apologetic look on his face, "I'm sorry to ask this of you, Bella, but I need to take pictures of your bruises. We'll need it as proof of spousal abuse."

The words were so formal. I flinched at the thought of having the damage Mike had inflicted upon me displayed in court. For everyone to see... for Allie to see. She would know the horrible things that Mike did. She would never look at him the same way again. A part of me thrilled to the thought.

"All right," I whispered, my eyes on my hands. In an instant, his hand was below my chin, gently tilting my head up so that he could gaze into my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bella."

"I know," my eyes drifted down beneath his burning gaze. "Should I... change here?"

"Change?" His brow furrowed.

"Yes," I mumbled, fidgeting with the bottom of my shirt. "You want pictures of everything, right?"

"Bella," I looked up. His eyes were narrowed, his expression enraged, "What else did he do?"

He had injured me severely the day before Edward's return. The night before, he had merely punched me and threw me to the ground, but it had been much worse earlier. He had attacked me, throwing punches until I could hardly breath. It ached to breath, even now. I suppose Edward hadn't noticed the amount of pain Alice's hug had inflicted. A mere hug sent shock waves of pain up my spine.

My hands curled under the bottom of my shirt and, slowly, I lifted it up to reveal the marks that were underneath. There were dark purples bruises all around my ribs and stomach. The dark marks of Mike's hand layered all along my sides. There were scratches, raised and angry red after only two days of healing. I stared at the ground, terrified to see Edward's face. I expected to hear snarls coming from him, as I had from all his reactions as of late.

Tentatively, I raised my gaze to stare at him.

He wasn't there.

"Edward?"

I heard a crash in the other room and jumped to my feet. I raced down the hall, tugging my shirt down along the way. I could only assume the place that the noise had come from. The bedroom. Mike's room. The room where Mike was still unconscious on the ground.

Or so I hoped.

"Edward!" Alice screamed, struggling to hold him back against the wall. Edward was pushing against her, desperately trying to get past her. His eyes were glued on his target. Mike's limp body. His eyes were burning in a fury that I had never seen before. Primal growls ripped out of his chest. Alice was losing her grip on him. "Edward! Stop it!"

"Edward?"

Her eyes flew to me, "Bella! Help!"

At the sound of my name, Edward's eyes flew to my trembling form. Instantly, he stopped struggling against Alice, his arms dropping to his sides. Regret and shame flashed in his eyes and he looked towards the window, "I'm sorry, I couldn't..." he stuttered. I don't know if he had ever stuttered in front of me before, "I couldn't control myself. Alice, you didn't see what he did..."

"Edward, I-" he cut her off swiftly.

"You didn't see what that bastard did to her!"

"Edward, please calm down," I pleaded, my body still quivering.

A sudden wave of calm swept over the room. A moment later, Jasper walked in. I turned to him and smiled thankfully.

"Jasper," Alice breathed a sigh of relief, walking over to embrace him. "Thanks."

She turned back to Edward then, glaring, "You're lucky we were on our way over when Bella decided to show you the other... wounds," Alice flinched, "You would have killed him."

"Gladly," he snapped.

"Bella," Alice turned to me, ignoring Edward's remark, "I'll take the pictures for you. I don't think Edward can handle it."

"That's fine, Alice," I agreed quickly. After Edward's initial reaction, I was happy to let Alice take the photos, "Thank you."

"Jasper, please keep him calm," Alice instructed, turning back to him, "And get him out of this room. If he's going to be flying at him every two seconds, it's best to make him run for it at least."

Alice snatched the camera from Edward's hand and took my hand in hers, leading me out of the room. We walked down the hall and back into the guest bedroom. I walked over to the bed, lifting my shirt as Alice closed the door behind us.

"Oh, Bella," she gasped, "Your back."

"Is it bad?" I muttered, trying to glance back, "I can't see it... I only know how bad the front looks."

"It's.." her voice was choked, "It's about as bad."

I heard the soft clicks, bright lights flashing around me as she took images of my back. I stood there through the whole ordeal, feeling completely exposed. It felt so wrong, so dirty... I felt my hate for Mike flare up as my embarrassment mounted. I closed my eyes as the flashes moved to my face, trying to block out this horrible memory.

"Last one," Alice whispered and a flash lighted the room once more. "Done."

"Thank you, Alice," I muttered, tugging my shirt down, "I'm sorry... about upsetting him. I know you're having enough trouble keeping him calm."

"Bella, don't apologize for what Mike's done to you." Alice took me in her arms, hugging my lightly, "And it's fine. I was around the corner... there was enough time. Hell, I would have loved to help Edward kill him, but..."

"It's not the best way to go about this."

"No, it's not," she agreed, smiling sadly.

"Will he... will he be waking soon?"

"In a few minutes, actually," her expression darkened, "He won't remember what happened. I'm going to move him to his bed so that he thinks he fell asleep."

"He won't...?" I trailed off.

"No," she started, biting her lower lip, "That's why Jasper's here. You are going to tell Mike, right?"

"Yes."

"Jasper will be here to control Mike's temper," she offered a small, reassuring smile. "He won't be able to get violent. He'll be calm and agreeable... at least on the outside. Let him know that you are staying home to make legal arrangements. Don't tell him about Allie."

I nodded slowly as I followed her out into the hall. Edward was waiting outside the door and pulled me into his arms the instant he was me. I felt a wave of love sweep over me as I nestled deeper into his embrace. "Don't go."

"I won't be far," he murmured into my hair. "Alice is putting him on his bed now." I looked up from his chest to see that Alice had already left. I was still getting used to their silent movements. "He'll be waking in a few minutes. I'll be close... Jasper will be controlling his feelings. Everything will be -"

"Fine." I finished for him, a nervous smile tugging on my lips.

"Edward, hurry," Alice spoke from beside us.

"I'll be close," he assured me, yet again. He kissed me softly upon the lips and I closed my eyes, leaning in. A moment later, he was gone.

---

**So, what did you think? How is Mike going to react, when Bella tells him about the divorce? Will Allie like the rest of the Cullens? Let me know what you think! Can we make 700 this time? COOKIES!**

**Any ideas for a new game? **


	16. A Child's Intuition

**700 REVIEWS! We made it! And, as promised... here is the latest chapter! **

**This is from Edward's POV. Bella's finally going to tell Mike that she wants a divorce. What will happen? Read and find out! Here it is! Chapter 16! Enjoy!**

---

Edward

"Take care of her," I muttered for the fifteenth time.

"I know," Jasper sighed, throwing a glance to Alice. She smiled.

"He's just worried about her," Alice defended me, "And rightfully so... the bruises on her... How did she go through that?"

"I should have never left her," my voice was furious. I was furious, with myself. How could I have let this happen to Bella? How could I have let her become so abused? "I'll never forgive myself for this."

"You're not the one who is supposed to forgive," Jasper corrected, "She is."

"And she has." Alice smiled.

"Bella?" I heard a voice groan from upstairs. Mike had finally woken. I could hear him stumbling around in his room, looking for my love.

"Yes, Mike?"

"What happened? My head..." he grumbled. Jasper stiffened next to me and I could hear his thoughts screaming in my head.

_He's so mad... I can barely stand it..._

Growls were pulling out of his throat, against his own will. He was being affected by Mike's extreme anger. "Jasper," I spoke, my voice harsh, "Jasper, you have to control yourself. Make him agreeable. Make him calm."

A heavy calm spread over the entire vicinity and I focused my attention on Mike's thoughts, trying to take note of a change in his mood.

_What the hell is going on? Why do I feel so... so calm? That bitch. _I growled lowly under my breath. _It must be her fault._

"You seemed really sick when you went to bed last night." Bella whispered, stammering over her words. She was nervous, terrified of the thing she was about to tell Mike.

"Maybe," he grunted. A moment ago he would have had a violent rebuttal, but now... nothing. His mind was busy trying to figure out where the sudden wave of calm had come from. "Probably your damn food..."

"Mike, we need to talk," Bella spoke, her voice a bit more clear now. Determined.

"About what?" Mike's voice was wary. His thoughts were violent.

_I knew it! That bitch is cheating on me with that damned Cullen! I'll teach her... I'll... I'll..._ His thoughts trailed off into nothingness as Jasper threw out another heavy wave of calm. Mike was unable to think properly now, let alone respond violently to Bella.

"Mike, I want a divorce."

_A divorce? She wants a divorce? I'll kill her before I let her leave! I'll kill the damn child and let her beg to follow! I'll..._

"Make him agree," I urged Jasper, "Make him agreeable. Please, don't let him hurt her."

"Not that you would let him. You're on the edge as it is," Jasper muttered as the wave of the requested emotions spread over the area.

"Fine," Mike stuttered. His mind was in a rage against what he was feeling. "Fine, but you can't have Allie."

Try to fight that, his thoughts were angry for a multitude of reasons. Angry at Bella. Angry at Allie. Angry at what he was feeling. You'll stay for her, I know you will!

"Mike, I'm going to fight for custody."

"Like hell you are!"

"Jasper," I urged.

"I'm trying," he snapped, anger flaring in his eyes, "You don't know how strong his emotions are. I'm forcing this as much as I can, Edward."

"Mike," Bella was stuttering now. I could hear her feet sliding back across the floor as she backed away from him. Jasper's arm was restraining me before I was able to take off. "Mike, she's not safe... you... you hurt me."

"And I'll hurt her, too," Mike's voice was dark and low. The threat was strong, "I'll kill her if you try to leave me Bella. You have to pick. You can have both of us, or none at all."

There was a long moment of silence in which Jasper and Alice struggled to hold me back. Jasper continued to send out waves of calm, perhaps more for my benefit now than for Mike. I had to get to her. I had to save her. I couldn't let anything happen to Bella... to Allie. That poor, sweet little girl. She couldn't stay here.

"You don't love her at all, do you?" Bella's voice was soft, astonished.

"How can you love anything that came from something you hate?"

My anger flared stronger than it had last night, but with Jasper's help, Alice was able to keep me from breaking away. I snarled furiously, "Let me go!"

"Edward," Alice whispered furiously into my ear, "You can't do this every time. You need to learn to control your anger. Please, Edward, for Bella. Make this easier on her. Don't hurt her, please."

"I'm getting Allie out of this house," Bella's voice was stronger than I had ever heard it.

"And I'll be calling social services." Mike countered.

"They'll know you abused me," Bella's voice was angry, rising. I felt a thrill go through me as her strength returned. She was fighting back. "They'll take her away from you."

"Don't count on it, bitch," Mike snapped. I heard the pounding of his feet as he trudged down the stairs. He was leaving for work already?

_I made him want to leave. _Jasper explained quickly with his thoughts. We were too close to Mike to speak now. I waited in silence, listening as he grabbed his coat and keys. It was only a moment later when he front door slammer shut.

"Edward!" a sob broke Bella's lips. I was running before she could complete my name. I watched as her legs gave out, catching her in my arms before she could fall. I lowered myself to my knees, cradling her in my arms.

"Bella," I whispered into her hair, kissing her head, "My Bella. You were so strong."

"He doesn't," she sobbed, the words breaking, "He doesn't love her at all!"

Her eyes grew wide with a sudden fear and she looked at me, her breaths dragging in sharp, small gasps. "Did she hear him? Is she...?"

"No, she's not awake," I continued to whisper, my voice reassuring. "Her thoughts are all dreams right now. She was up very late, so she slept through everything now."

"Why was she up late?"

"I think," my gaze drifted off, over Bella's head and to Alice's eyes. Alice nodded. "She heard Mike screaming at you last night. She saw me in the hall. I tucked her back into bed... she told me she doesn't sleep well at night."

Bella choked her words on a few more sobs before finally giving the sentence up. She buried her face in my chest, gripping my shirt tightly and staining the fabric with her tears. I traced my hand along her back soothingly.

_Mommy's crying again..._ Allie's sad thoughts filled my head.

"Allie's awake," I murmured as the door to Allie's room opened. Bella tried to straighten up, wiping quickly at the tears that were still rolling down her cheeks.

"Mommy..." Allie whispered, her feet pattering along on the ground. She came to stand beside me, staring at Bella with a look of utter sadness. If my heart were alive, it would break.

"Allie, I'm sorry," Bella sniffed, hiccuping over her words, "I'm sorry we woke you."

"Please don't cry," Allie spoke, reaching out to brush her tiny fingers across Bella's cheek, wiping up the tears. Bella released me, pulling Allie into her arms. Allie wrapped her arms about Bella's neck, resting her head on Bella's chest. "It's okay, mommy."

"I know, baby," Bella whispered, "I know. I'm sorry."

"Edward's going to save us, mommy."

Bella's voice caught in her throat in the same moment as mine. I stared at Allie with a bewildered expression, trying to pull from her mind the reason behind her words. As always, she spoke her mind as the thoughts ran through. It was almost pointless to read her thoughts.

"What," Bella stared at Allie with wide eyes, "What did you say, baby?"

"Edward's going to save us." Allie repeated, as though it were an obvious fact. Her little brow furrowed as she turned to face me, "Aren't you?"

"If you'll let me." I whispered. A bright smile flashed on Allie's lips and she turned back to Bella.

"Daddy can't hurt you, mommy," Allie whispered, patting her mother on the back consolingly. I saw Bella hide a wince.

"Allie," Alice spoke from behind us, "How did you know that your daddy hurts your mommy?"

"I can hear him at night," Allie replied, but her eyes stayed on Bella. She continued to rub her back, trying to calm her, "That's why I don't sleep very well. I can't sleep when you're crying, mommy."

"Oh, baby," Bella whispered, pulling Allie closer into her arms. Tears fell silently down her cheeks as she ran her fingers through Allie's long brown hair, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you have to go through this..."

She pressed a kiss to Allie forehead and my eyes met Bella's. They were strong and determined in a way I had never seen them before. My dead heart swelled with the love I felt for her. We would be a family soon. Bella lowered her gaze back down to Allie, a small smile on her face.

"You'll never have to go through that again," Bella spoke, the tears fading from her voice. "We'll leave."

Bella looked up at us, wiping the last of the tears from her face. Finally, she turned to stare at Allie, smiling softly, "In fact, how would you like to see the rest of Edward's family right now?"

---

**So, what did you think? What did you think of Mike's reaction? Is it what you thought it would be? How about Allie's reaction?**

**There was a lot of mentions of Allie's reaction to finding out that Mike is abusive... I didn't really answer those, because the answer was coming up. Allie knew. Until now, though, what could she say? She finally sees her mom happy and a way out... so, she's revealed herself. **

**So, the game! I liked everyone's suggestions, but my favorite was... "Describe Mike in one word!" So... take your shot! Be creative! **

**You were all so great last time. I'm going to reply to the rest that I have left right now. Please keep reviewing! Your encouragement and input is very loved! Leave a cookie!**


	17. Meet The Cullens

**775 REVIEWS! Woo! We are working our way up. Allie finally gets to meet the rest of the Cullen family! Here it is! Chapter 17! Enjoy!**

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Bella

The drive to the Cullen's house was very quick, much to Allie's delight. As soon as Allie agreed to meet the rest of the Cullens, Jasper had raced off to retrieve Edward's Volvo. Allie, so young and innocent, didn't find it odd that Jasper took only a few minutes to get the car. In fact, she was too busy admiring the shiny car that she hardly noticed how fast we were going.

Edward drove at his regular speeds and for once I didn't complain. I was entirely too anxious to get as far away from that house as possible. My mind was racing with thoughts and I was silent the entire ride.

How could Allie have known that Mike was violent this whole time? I had done my very best to keep the fights as quiet as possible, always fearing that Allie would find out the awful truth of her family. I didn't want to expose her to the violence of her father. And yet, she knew. She had heard him screaming. She had heard him beat me. She couldn't sleep at night because of the pain that Mike had continually inflicted on me. On my family.

"Grandpa Charlie would yell at you!" Allie scolded Edward, laughing with each word. He threw her a crooked grin and revved the engine. Allie squealed in delight.

I pulled Allie closer, enclosing her in my arms. I pressed kiss after kiss into her soft hair, fearing the time when I would have to fight Mike to keep her. What if he took her away from me? What if the courts sided with him? I couldn't lose Allie to him. After what he said... the horrible things he said. I couldn't let him hurt her.

"Mommy!" Allie squirmed in my arms, attempting to get away, "We're here!"

I was roused from my thoughts, looking around my surroundings in surprise. I shot a glare at Edward, ready to lecture him on his speed, but my glare faded into a look of love the moment my eyes met his.

"Mommy!" Allie continued to wiggle around, trying to get away, "I want to see the house!"

"Oops!" I released Allie and she slid out of the car, jumping up and down in the soggy grass as she waited for us. I slid out of the car and scooped her into my arms, "Sorry about that, Allie."

"Well, let's hurry," Edward spoke from my side, running his hand throw Allie's hair, messing it up, "They might leave if they have to wait too long."

Allie giggled at the joke in his voice.

We walked up to the house, Allie and Edward continuing their jokes back and forth. I was still silent, still wrapped in the thoughts of the past two days. So much had happened and yet I felt as though I had spent an eternity like this. It was perfect. It felt so right, like this was the way it had always been and would always be.

I set Allie down after walking up the stairs. She ran to the front door, knocking on it twice before stepping back and waiting. She was polite for such a young girl. She reminded me of myself. My mother had always joked that I was born thirty five and I became more middle aged each day. Allie was the same way. She was so mature for being so young.

"Allie!" Esme greeted her in a warm voice, a bright smile on her face as she opened the door. Allie looked back at me with wide eyes.

"She knows my name!" she gasped. I threw a mock gasp on my face, but my smile quickly erased it.

"Yes, of course she does, Allie," I walked up to Esme and she enveloped me in a hug. I returned the gesture, missing the embrace of my true family. I turned back to Allie, "She's Alice's mom."

"So she's my grandma?" Allie asked, her eyes growing even wider. I looked at Esme, worried that the term might be offensive in some way. I was silly to worry. Esme smiled down in prideful joy at Allie, "But she's so pretty! She's not old at all!"

"That's because I eat all my fruits and veggies," Esme smiled. Carlisle came to stand beside her, his arms wrapping around her waist. He looked down at Allie with the same warm smile he had greeted me with when I had first met him.

"Hello, Allie," Carlisle spoke, gesturing to Esme, "This is Esme and I'm Carlisle."

Allie looked at Edward expectantly.

"He's your grandpa." Edward responded with a grin. He had obviously read her thoughts, even if she didn't know that.

Allie ran forward, as bold a child as she was, and wrapped her little arms around Esme's leg. Esme stared down at her with shocked, wide eyes before her face melted into one of love. She had always wanted a child, I knew. She knelt down and scooped Allie into her arms, holding her close. She looked as though she would cry if she could.

"It's nice to meet you," Allie chirped in her most polite voice. I heard Edward chuckle from beside me.

His arms slipped around my waist and I leaned into him, forgetting to keep a distance from him around Allie. I didn't want to confuse her with the relationship between us, but it was so hard to stay away. My eyes slid closed, a happy smile on my lips.

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Allie?" I opened my eyes. She was staring at me with a wide grin on her lips.

"Do you love Edward?" I stiffened at the boldness of her question.

"Yes, Allie," I whispered after a moment. The truth was best. There had been too many lies in Allie's life already. She didn't need anymore.

"Are you going to marry him?" she probed.

"Do you want her to?" Edward spoke before I could. I looked up at him, my eyes incredulous. He was grinning that beautiful crooked grin.

Allie just smiled and giggled, latching her arms around Esme's neck and hugging her close. Esme rested her head against Allie, obviously enjoying the affection. I had forgotten how important Allie would be to the rest of the family.

"So, this is Allie!" a booming voice sounded from the doorway. A moment later, Emmett and Rosalie walked out onto the porch to join us. Emmett walked over to Esme, patting Allie on the head. "What's up, short stuff?"

Allie stared up at him with wide eyes, her voice awed, "You are the biggest person I've ever seen!"

Laughter broke out amongst us and I felt relief spread over me as I joined in. It had been so long since I had truly laughed. I watched in silence as Esme cradled Allie and Emmett continued to talk to her. My eyes drifted over to Rosalie. A shock flew threw my body.

She was staring at Allie with an affection that I had never seen before. There was a yearning in her eyes that I couldn't quite understand. I didn't know the full story of Rosalie's fate... I only knew that they had found her in the street. She must have wanted a child of her own, of course. A little girl, or a little boy to call her own.

Allie was still giggling from Emmett's last joke when her eyes found Rosalie. Her mouth dropped open, "Mommy, she's so pretty!"

I giggled softly. If Rosalie could blush, I swear she would have. It shocked me to the core to see Rosalie Hale acting so different from how I remembered her. She was completely changed in Allie's presence. She looked at Allie as a mother would. As I did.

"She's your aunt, too, Allie," Alice chimed in.

Esme and Rosalie shared a short glance and Esme nodded slowly. She held Allie out and Rosalie glanced to me. "Bella, do you mind if...?"

"Not at all," I whispered, willing and happy to agree. I wanted Rosalie to accept me in the family, as she was the only one who hadn't yet. "Go ahead."

Allie reached out to her and Rosalie took her into her arms. She cradled her like a baby, staring down at her with an unfathomable expression. Allie smiled up at her, completely at ease, "What's your name?"

"Rosalie," her voice was soft, like the twinkling of bells.

"And you're my aunt?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," a smile touched Rosalie's lips.

"Then I'll be as pretty as you someday, right?" I watched as the affection welled up in Rosalie's eyes.

"You're already so beautiful," Rosalie spoke, her voice still soft.

The rest of the family had gone silent, watching the scene. I leaned back into Edward's arms and he embraced me fully. This place felt like home. No... this place was home. It was my home, our home.

"Bella," Carlisle spoke to me now. I looked up to him expectantly. "The lawyer will be here later tomorrow, if that's all right?"

"Yes, that'll be fine."

Even with the uneasiness of the topic, I still felt entirely comfortable here. I hardly noticed when the phone in my pocket vibrated. I had forgotten that I had it. I reached in and pulled it out, checking the number. It wasn't one I knew. I flipped it open and held it to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Isabella Newton?" A woman's voice questioned from the other end. It was more familiar than I would prefer.

"Yes, this is her."

"My name is Jessica Stanley," she introduced herself, "I'm a social worker. Your husband contacted me this morning. If it is all right with you, I would like to meet with Allie."

Jessica was so formal, as though she didn't even know me. There was an underlining current to her tone that hinted otherwise of course. We had drifted apart after my catatonic state shortly after Edward's departure. This distance only grew when I allowed Mike to pursue his interest in me.

"What is this concerning?"

"He thinks you have been abusive, ma'am," I felt Edward stiffen next to me. Anger surged through my veins.

"He's the one who is abusive!"

"That is all hearsay, ma'am," she continued, "I will need to speak with Allie, alone. Is she available today?"

"Yes. How soon?"

"I'll arrive at your house in two hours, Mrs. Newton," her voice was neutral, yet I felt fear, "Your husband provided the address."

"I'll see you in two hours."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Newton." The line disconnected.

My arm fell limply to my side, the phone clattering to the ground.

---

**So, Mike is already taking measures to take Allie from Bella. What did you think about the Allie-Cullen interaction? **

**The word game is still going! Describe Mike in one word! But, also... I want to know, who was your favorite Allie - Cullen interaction? Yes, you can pick Allie -Edward. :) Let me know! Leave a cookie! No, no... Leave LOTS OF COOKIES:) **


	18. Captive

**856 REVIEWS?! You all are so awesome:) I replied to almost all of them, except for the ones that I got this morning. I will reply to them tonight, but I wanted to get this chapter online before I headed out for the day:) The Mike in one word contest is done, but I'm going to post my favorites in the next chapter since I don't have too much time right now. The most popular Allie-Cullen interactions were Allie-Rosalie and Allie-Edward:) I'm so glad you enjoyed Rosalie's reaction to Allie.**

**This chapter has more interaction with the Cullens and the meeting with Jessica Stanley, the social worker. It's a little sad... It upset me, at least. Anyway, here it is! Chapter 18! Enjoy! **

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Edward

I cradled Bella in my arms, my hand tracing soothingly along her back. Even in sleep, her face was lined with worry and fear of what was about to come.

After she had dropped the phone, her knees gave out and she fell into my waiting arms. She whispered incoherent words as tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and I could say nothing to stop it. I gathered her in my arms and carried her into the house, whispering any soothing word I could think of. Eventually, her tears brought her rest. It wouldn't be long until she had to meet with the social worker, but who was I to break her moment of release from the hell she lived in?

I had caused it, after all. I had left her to be broken into more pieces by Jake. Mike was the crap that held her together, piling her into a mess of what she once was. I should have stayed. I should have kept her in my arms where she would always be safe. Of course, if I had stayed...

My eyes drifted over to Allie, who slept peacefully in Rosalie's arms. She had been upset for her mother, as was expected, but Esme and Rosalie calmed her fears. Rosalie seemed incapable of letting her go, her hands still brushing strands of silk brown hair from her face. I had never seen such happiness on her face, in all the years that I had known her.

"Oh, Emmett," her voice was soft even to our ears. She leaned against him, her eyes never leaving Allie, "I love her."

"Rose, come on," Emmett laughed. "You're going to make me jealous of a three-year-old girl."

I smirked. Emmett's voice was joking, but he was unable to keep the affection from his eyes as he watched his wife and Allie. Rosalie ignored his comment and continued to brush Allie's hair, a saddened expression twisting her features, "I hate him."

"Who, me?" Emmett's brow furrowed and his gaze drifted to me, "Is she talking to you like I'm not here? Rose, I was joking!"

"No, I'm not talking about you!" Rosalie scoffed, her voice annoyed. She threw him a glare that quickly dissolved into the same motherly affection.

"She's talking about Mike," I muttered into Bella's hair, having lowered my lips to kiss her.

"Can we please just go and kill him and have this over with?" Emmett grumbled, cracking his knuckles, "I could take care of it right now. I'd make it look like an accident, too."

"Tempting..." Rosalie mused.

"First, if anyone gets to kill him, it's going to be me," I spoke, lifting my head from Bella's. She stretched in her sleep, nestling closer to my form, "Second, it would just cause more problems. Accident or not... Alice has already been through every scenario in her mind. It doesn't end well."

"Why doesn't she go to Charlie?" Carlisle asked, his eyes on the fireplace. He was holding Esme close to him, nestling together in a chair.

"I don't know why she hasn't gone to him yet," I mumbled, my gaze following his. My brow furrowed, "Of course, she hasn't exactly had much time since we arrived here."

"You should take her to him," Esme offered. Her eyes were on Rosalie and Allie.

"Later today, if she's up to it," I glanced down to my sleeping angel, "She already has so much to go through today."

"I can't believe that swine told the social workers that Bella was abusive towards Allie," Rosalie snapped, anger twisting her features. "As if he hasn't caused enough trouble in their lives."

"Perhaps Bella will be able to convince them otherwise," Jasper muttered from the stairs, where he was sitting beside Alice.

"No," Alice frowned, "The social worker wants to speak to Allie alone. Bella won't be able to convince her of anything. The woman's solely interested in what Allie has to say. She's going to barely speak to Bella."

"I figured as much," A growl rumbled in my chest. I hadn't expected Mike to act so quickly. He would make it difficult to keep Allie out of that house.

"But we could get Charlie to arrest Mike, couldn't we?" Jasper asked.

"Not necessarily," Alice sighed, "It would be up to Bella to tell Charlie. That and," her voice trailed off.

"And?" I scrutinized her expression. She was nervous.

"Mike's already spoken to Charlie today," she whispered, "He did so shortly after he contacted to social worker. He told him that we're back and that... well, that you abused Bella, Edward?"

"What?" I roared. Bella sat up immediately, staring at me with wide eyes.

"What happened?" her worried voice pulled me out of my anger. "Edward?"

"Mike told Charlie that I came back and that I'm the one who's abused you," I growled, my eyes drifting from her to Allie. Her thoughts were blocked. "Is there anything else?"

"No."

I frowned, but was unable to pull anything else from her mind. I rubbed Bella's shoulders soothingly. She had started trembling after I told her the news, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks, "He's going to take her away, isn't he? He's doing everything to take her away from me."

"There's no way in hell we're going to let her take Allie," Rosalie's voice was still soft, even in her anger. Allie had still not waken from her dreams.

"He's your father, Bella," I whispered, trailing cool fingers along her jawline. "You can convince him otherwise. Don't worry. He'll believe you."

"How much longer until we have to leave?"

"Right now, actually," I frowned after a quick glance at the clock. I stood then, lifting her with me. She was cradled in my arms bridal style. "Let's get you to your house."

"Allie," Rosalie whispered, shaking Allie's shoulders gently. Her eyes fluttered, a tiny yawn escaping her lips.

"Mommy?"

An indescribable emotion flew across Rosalie's face. The closest emotion I could place it next to would be motherly affection. Allie stretched in her arms, her eyes opening and turning up to gaze at Rosalie. She giggled, "Mommy, I'm in the arms of an angel!"

Bella smiled at her daughter affectionately. The room was more full of life and love than it had been in years. Possibly ever. Rosalie's unspoken emotion grew with a smile on her lips and she stood, lifting Allie with her. I set Bella on the ground and, reluctantly, Rosalie handed Allie over to her Bella, "She's perfect, Bella."

"Thank you, Rosalie."

"Auntie Rose?" Allie chirped, squirming around in Bella's arms to speak to Rosalie, "Can I come visit you again?"

"Anytime you want, Allie."

"Come on," I placed my hand at the small of Bella's back, "We better get going, or we'll be late."

We walked out to the car in silence, Allie squirming around to get comfortable in Bella's arms. The ride itself was silent as well and I chose to keep it that way. Bella was nervous. I could practically feel the emotions coming off of her. Allie must have felt it, too. She never spoke, her eyes staring distantly out the window.

We were at their house in the same amount of time it had taken us to leave. In a flash, I was on the other side of the car, opening Bella's door for her. Allie giggled, delighted. It was amusing to her, even if she didn't know the true meaning behind my swift movements.

"I'll be in the house listening," I whispered into Bella's ear as we walked into the house. She nodded, her body shaking in fear. I pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "It's all right, Bella. You'll be fine. I'll never let anything happen to you. He won't ever be able to hurt you."

"I love you, Edward," she spoke, her voice shaking.

"I love you, Edward!" Allie giggled. My heart soared.

"Well, it looks like I'm loved by the two most beautiful girls I know," I ran a hand through Allie's hair, brushing out the knots of sleep. With a encouraging smile at Bella, I departed upstairs.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door. The door opened and a woman's voice filled the room, "Hello, Mrs. Newton. I'm Jessica Stanley, we spoke on the phone."

This was utterly ridiculous. Jessica, one of the first girls to make friends with Bella, spoke to her as though she had never met her before. She kept herself strictly professional, hardly giving Bella a glance. Her thoughts let me know otherwise, of course.

_So, that's what Bella looks like now? Mike was right, she has gotten ugly,_ Jessica's thoughts drifted up to me. I felt a strong surge of anger tremble through my body. Bella was the furthest thing from ugly. What Mike did to her, that was ugly. _Allie seems fine... hopefully I won't have to take her out of her home. She looks like a sweet girl. It would make things easier for us if she weren't here, though..._

Us. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was talking about.

"Hello, Ms. Stanely." Her voice was still shaking. She continued Jessica's little charade.

"And you must be Allie Newton! Your daddy's told me all about you!" I felt my anger flame anew.

_Mike... I wonder if I'll see him again today. He's so handsome... why did he ever go for Bella? She doesn't deserve him._

A felt a growl rumbled low within my chest. If only she knew the real Mike. Not that it mattered. They deserved each other, apparently.

"Really?" Allie's voice was innocence, excited.

"Would you mind talking to me for a little bit, Allie?"

_Let's just hurry up and get this over with._

"Okay," Allie's voice was unsure. A moment later, Bella had set Allie upon the floor.

There was silence and I heard footsteps walking up the stairs as Bella's sweet scent drifted up to me. I was there to meet her in the hall. I pulled her into my arms, trying to be as comforting as I could. She stood there, shaking with sobs.

I whispered words of encouragement into my angel's ear as I listened to the conversation that was taking place downstairs.

"Allie, has your daddy ever hurt you?" Jessica asked, her voice professional.

"No, but-"

"That's good," Jessica cut in. I felt another wave of anger sweep through me. Bella looked at me in confusion. "Has your mommy ever hurt you?"

_Of course Mike wouldn't hurt her. He's so nice. He's probably gentle... nice and gentle._

"No!" Allie's voice was aghast. "My mommy would never hurt me!"

"Are you sure?" Jessica pressed. I could feel the injustice. She had been so accepting of Mike's results, but she searched for lies in Bella's. "Are you sure she never hurt you?"

_Please make this easier. I can get Bella out of this house if there's a threat._

"I'm sure." Allie's voice quavered.

"Have you ever seen your mommy and daddy fight?" Jessica continued, "Have you ever seen your daddy hit your mommy?"

"I hear them yelling," Allie started, "but I haven't -"

"So, you've never seen your dad hurt your mom?"

"No, but-" Again, Jessica cut her off.

"That's very good Allie," her voice was condescending. I could her the ruffling of papers.

_But daddy hurts mommy. I know daddy hurts mommy. Why won't she let me talk to her? _Allie's thoughts came at me in a rush, worried and upset.

"Mrs. Newton?" Bella gasped from my arms. I released her reluctantly, nodding to her. She stared at me in fear before turning and walking slowly down the stairs.

"Mrs. Newton, I have no reason to believe that you have harmed Allie," Jessica began, her voice disappointed, "But I will be watching the house and keeping in touch with Mr. Newton."

"Jessica, Mike-" Bella started, but as she had done with Allie, Jessica cut her off.

"That'll be all, Mrs. Newton."

The door closed and the house went silent.

"What was she thinking?" I knew Bella was speaking to me. I raced down the stairs, scooping her into my arms before she could fall. Her eyes were wide with fear. "Why wouldn't she..."

"Apparently your husband is quite the charmer," I spat, my anger fueled. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and apologized, "I'm sorry. I just can't believe that there are people like that in such a line of work. Look at you! You're covered in bruises and yet..."

My voice trailed off into a growl.

"Mommy?" Allie walked into the room, tears dried on her cheeks, "Mommy, she wouldn't let me tell her. I tried..."

"I know, baby," I released Bella and she walked over, scooping Allie into her arms, cradling her, "I know."

Tears filled Allie's eyes, her gaze turning to me. Her expression was hopeless.

"Daddy's not going to let me go."

---

**I know that Jessica's reaction was... not really what you would expect from a social worker. Keep in mind that I do not know that actual questions they ask. **

**I do, however, know how unfair the system can be. I have a friend who went through much of the same thing and because her father was great friends with the judge, he got custody, even though the evidence was stacked against him. The system can really... well, suck, to put it simply. I'm trying to keep this realistic and often, maybe too often, reality can be unfair. **

**So, let me know what you think, as always! As sad as it was, I still hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**The new game, lasting for this chapter: Describe Jessica in one word! Or a paragraph, doesn't matter. :) What do you think of her? How did this chapter make you feel? Leave a cookie! Can we break 900 reviews before the next chapter:)  
**


	19. Fear and Choices

**936 REVIEWS! I've replied to almost all of you. I'll finish up as soon as I get this chapter loaded.**

**I really, really liked writing this chapter. Please, let me know what you think! Seriously, I need feedback on this one... I think it's good :) Here it is! Chapter 19! Enjoy!**

** My Favorites For Mike: Unedward (writer in hiding), Lurid (topaz addiction), Pernicious (lunarlily828)**

** My Favorites For Jessica: Crapweasel (vjgm), Twit (Enthralled), Bitchibedwarmer (Battlecry4ever) **

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Bella

"You need to talk to your father, Bella," Edward's voice was cool velvet against my ear. I shivered.

"He won't believe me," I mouthed the words slowly. I was terror stricken, hardly able to form a full sentence, let alone speak it. Mike had already twisted everything out of proportion. He had already turned so many people against me. My breath came in quick, uneven gasps.

"Bella," Edward frowned at me, his face disapproving. He reached for me, cradling my face in his cool marble hands. His delicious breath blew into my face. My head whirled, "Bell, you're going to pass out."

"She's hysterical," Jasper muttered from somewhere in the room. I didn't break my gaze from Edward's to find out where he was. "You might want to lay her down."

Shortly after Jessica had left, I had lost control of my emotions, completely encased by my own fear. I had, unfortunately, left Edward with the horrible task of handling Allie and myself. Allie had grown silent after her realization that Mike was not going to let her go. She sat on the floor, staring blankly at the wall. I was frantic and it had terrified Edward as he desperately trued to calm me down. Finally, the Cullens showed up.

Of course Alice had seen the outcome and they raced to my house, hoping to help. Allie was pulled back into Rosalie's arms, although that did not stir her out of her current state. She fell asleep there. Rocked into a deep sleep where I prayed she had no fears.

Mike wasn't going to let her go. He wasn't going to let us go. In the past four years Mike and Charlie had become great friends, whereas I had drifted apart from my father. I could only imagine all the lies Mike had already fed to Charlie about Edward. It wouldn't help to talk to him, because I knew he would believe Mike. He had such a strong hatred for Edward after that fateful day when Edward had left. Of course he would believe Mike...

"Bella, please calm down," Edward's voice was soothing as he whispered into my hair. He scooped me up from the ground, cradling me close as he walked to the couch. Kneeling down, he set me on the couch, resting his cool had to my forehead. "You're burning up."

"She's not sick," Alice noted from the chair, her voice knowing, "She's just upset."

"Very upset," Jasper grumbled. I could only imagine how drastically my pain and fear were playing with his emotions.

"Bella," Edward whispered, enveloping me in his embrace, "Please, calm down. It will be all right. You're safe. Allie's safe. Mike's just trying to make this hard for us, that's all. We can work through this. I'm here for you, Bella. You're going to be fine."

"But he's not going to let me leave, Edward."

"He doesn't have a choice," Edward answered in a dark voice. "If you want to leave, he'll let you go. I'll make sure of it."

I winced at the threat in his voice.

"Edward," Alice warned. He shot her a glance, but she stared back at him, unfazed. "We've already discussed this. It won't end well."

"And letting him live will?" Edward's voice was harsh.

"It will work better," Alice corrected, assured, "For Bella."

She had continually checked our futures each time Edward, or any Cullen for that matter, had a murderous idea for Mike. She wouldn't divulge any of the outcomes to me. She simply smiled sadly and shook her head. Whatever the outcomes, they were not good.

I felt my heart begin to slow as a feeling of relief entered my body. With my walls of fear lowered, Jasper unleashed a heavy wave of calm upon me. My eyes fluttered and I fell back into Edward's waiting arms, dizzy from the onslaught of feelings. Edward smiled at my adjusted state, "Better?"

"Yes," my voice was still hoarse from my hysteria. I cleared my throat and tried again, "Yes, I'm much better now. Thank you, Edward."

My gaze drifted over to Allie and I couldn't keep the sadness from my eyes, "Did I terrify her? Is she all right?"

"She's fine," It was Rosalie who spoke. She was staring down at Allie. "You didn't scare her. She was upset because of Mike. I think she calmed down a little before she finally fell asleep."

"Her dreams are happy ones," Edward assured me. I don't know if I had ever been so grateful for Edward's gift before. It was a relief to know that Mike wasn't hurting Allie in her dreams as well.

I stared at Rosalie and felt my heart lift. She had always been so cold and distant, so unaccepting of me before that fateful day. I had only known her in that way, until now. Edward had once said that Rosalie was jealous of my humanity and that she, out of all of them, struggled the most with what they are. Now, finally, I understood why. She was a mother without a child. The way she stared at Allie was so motherly that it should have made me jealous. I couldn't be further from that emotion.

"I'm sorry, Bella," Rosalie was staring at me, a hint of embarrassment on her beautiful features. She must have noticed my stare. "Do you want her back?"

"No," I smiled. "Allie looks so comfortable and at ease... I wouldn't want to move her."

Rosalie's eyes brightened as she lowered her gaze back to Allie, "You're so lucky to have her, Bella. I hope you know that."

"I know," I whispered, lowering my gaze to my hands.

"He's going to be home soon," Alice muttered, gazing out the window. "We're going to have to get going. It wouldn't be very good if he saw us all here."

"I'm not leaving," Edward's voice was absolute.

"I know," Alice laughed, standing up, "I wasn't talking to you. I already saw that you were going to be difficult if I asked you to leave."

"He should stay," Esme agreed, "He should be here in case Mike decides to do anything rash to Bella."

"Or Allie," Rosalie added. Her eyes turned to Edward, her gaze suddenly harsh, "I will not forgive you if you let him hurt her."

I tensed, wondering if she had angered Edward. Instead, he chuckled.

"I wouldn't give him the chance," Edward spoke, his voice sure.

"Good. Allie?" Rosalie shook Allie gently. Allie opened her eyes, gazing up at Rosalie. A tiny smile lit her face, "Allie, I have to go."

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Allie asked through a yawn. Rosalie looked to me in questioning. It was a school day, but to be honest... I didn't care. I nodded.

"Of course, Allie."

Allie scooted up in Rosalie's lap, placing a quick kiss on her cheek before hoping down to the floor. She rubbed her eyes, another yawn escaping her lips as she walked over to me, "Is he coming home now?"

"Any minute now," Alice answered for me, her voice anxious. "Come on, we really do have to go."

"I'll bring them over tomorrow," Edward spoke, his gaze on mine, "And I'll take care of them, I promise."

I didn't break our gaze, even when I heard the door close behind them. We sat like them in silence for a few minutes before Edward finally removed himself from my embrace and stood. "I will be here," he assured me, "But it would be a bad idea to let Mike know that I'm here. He's about to pull up the driveway."

I reached out for him, our fingers interlacing, "I'll miss you."

He pulled my hand to his lips, brushing it softly with a kiss. He then released my hand, scooping Allie up into his arms. Her eyes were wide with surprise, but she giggled, "Let's get you to the table, shall we?"

He walked into the kitchen. I stood up, following after them. When I walked into the room, I found Allie sitting at the table, still giggling. Edward was gone.

The front door opened.

"Bella?" Mike called. I winced at his tone.

"In here," I called, hurrying to the fridge to pull out the ingredients for dinner. As I threw the pasta into the pot and filled it with water, I heard Mike enter the room.

"You don't have dinner ready yet?" Mike asked, his voice gruff.

"It's been a busy day, Mike, I'm sorry," I muttered quickly. I reached into the cabinet and pulled out the pasta sauce, tossing that into a second pot to heat.

"I'm sure it was busy. Most who-" He broke off, noticing Allie. It didn't matter. I knew what he was going to call me. "Allie! You must be starving. Has mommy been busy?"

I glanced over my shoulder to catch Allie's nod. "Yep!" She grinned, fiddling with a fork. Edward must have set the table. I marveled at how he could be himself around Allie. "Mommy's been very busy."

"Doing what?"

"She talk to Jessica St-...St-..." Allie's brow furrowed in concentration.

"Stanley." I offered.

"Stanley!" Allie smiled. How easily she acted around Mike! All this time, she had known what a brutal person he was, and yet her facade was so believable. "That took a while."

"I see," Mike muttered. There was the sound of a chair scraping across the floor as he sat down. "Bella, hurry up."

"I'm trying," I answered, burning myself as I hurried poured the heated pasta into the strainer. A few minutes of silence later and the food was on the table. I sat there, eating in silence, wondering where Edward was. I knew he wouldn't leave me behind. I knew that he was somewhere in the house, perhaps listening to Mike and Allie's thoughts. My entire being ached to be with him.

I had assumed that he was hiding somewhere in my bedroom. When we had finished eating, I hurried up into the room, hoping for a few moments with him while Mike tucked Allie into bed. I opened the door and shut it tightly behind me, scanning the room.

"Edward?"

Silence.

My brow furrowed. I thought for sure that he would be waiting here. I walked over to the bed and dropped to my knees, checking beneath it. He wasn't there. I stood and walked over to the window, pushing it open. I leaned out, the cool rain stinging my cheeks. I stared into the darkness, searching, "Edward?"

I heard a door open behind me and almost laughed at myself. Why had I not thought to check the closet, I spun around, "Edward!"

I felt all the blood drain out of my face.

"No," Mike spoke, his voice dark. He walked toward me, his heavy boots striking the ground in sickening thuds. My stomach flipped as I backed away, my back pressing against the wall beside the window. "No, not Edward."

"Mike, I-"

"So, that's why you were busy," he cut me off swiftly. He had the oddest look in his eyes, cold and calculating. I felt a chill run down my spine. "Well, Bella, I've been busy, too."

"B-busy?" I stuttered, "What do you mean, busy?"

"I was talking to Charlie," his voice was oddly casual. "I told him all about you and Edward. I told him Edward's been back for a few days now... that you've been coming home covered in bruises."

My eyes widened, "You-!"

"I told him," Mike interrupted me again, "That I asked you to stay away from him. I told him that you said you still love Edward and that you weren't going to leave him. I told him that you don't care how much he hurts you... how much he could hurt Allie."

"Edward would never hurt Allie!" I fumed, my eyes flashing in anger.

"Charlie believes it," Mike shrugged, smirking, "I figured you'd run off to daddy. I figured you'd show him the bruises and tell him it was me. So I told him to wait for it. I told him that was going to be your excuse. Because you'd do... say... anything to protect Edward."

"He's my father!" I protested, "He'll believe me!"

"You can try," Mike laughed, "He's really set on hating Edward. I think I have him convinced," He took a step closer to me, anger becoming ever more present on his face, "I think I have him scared... because there's a chance, if he believes you, that Edward will hurt Allie."

"He will believe me!" I shouted again. Even I didn't believe it now. How could he believe me?

"And you will lose Allie," Mike countered. "Go to Edward, Bella." Another step. His voice was harsh, "Go to him, you damn whore! Go where you want, you can't have Allie!"

"You'll hurt her!"

"Oh, she'll know more pain," he pushed forward, his hand brushing my cheek, "Than you ever have."

I ripped my face away from his touch, "Don't touch me."

"I'll touch you however I want!" Mike shouted, his hand drawn back.

"Mike," Edward's voice filled the room, velvet and deadly, "You'll step away from her now, or you'll die."

His eyes narrowed, "Your choice."

---

**Oh my gosh! I did not expect to write that... I had a different route for this chapter when I started, but... this is so much better! It let me give all of you a lovely cliffhanger! Yay!**

**What's Edward going to do? Finally! Confrontation between Edward and a conscious Mike! Quick, review! I want to see what everyone thinks about it. GIMME COOKIES! Can we make it to 1000 on this one?**

** Game for this chapter: What will Edward do?  
**


	20. Alternate Reality

**THIS IS NOT THE NEWEST CHAPTER! **

**This is a bonus, fun chapter. It is NOT part of the story! With that said... let me tell you what this is about...**

**Lady Murray gave a hilarious review. It made me laugh so much and I could just see it happening, as silly as it was. So... I decided to actually write a chapter about it! Especially since you have helped me make it to 1000 REVIEWS! **

**This is the review:**

**I've got a good cookie for you.  
I think I have a good answer for your game, so here it is.**

**Edward is going to punch Mike's lights out. I don't mean punch Mike in the face, gut, etc., but he will punch all the lights out in the house, because Mike is very afraid of the dark.  
Mike will scream in fear and start running into things. Edward will be laughing like a mad man in the background, because he knows that it's go time.  
Just then, Bella turns on a flashlight, ilumminating her face in that scary-campfire way. She will then say, "Mike, you have been a very bad boy."  
Then, Allie will come rolling into the room in a tank and run over Mike's legs, crushing them to a pulp. Mike didn't know it was a tank though, he though it was Sasquatch and he trys to crawl away to hide.  
Edward will then drag Mike to the Cullen's house and lock him in their movie room and force him to watch horrible old movies forever, nonstop, until he dies.  
The End! **

**And now... the bonus, purely fun chapter! Enjoy!**

---

Bella

"Mike," Edward's voice filled the room, velvet and deadly, "You'll step away from her now, or you'll die."

His eyes narrowed, "Your choice."

I watched as Mike's eyes widened in absolute terror, trying to pull his raised arm out of Edward's steel grasp. "What the heck?" Mike swung his body around, "Let go of me!" he roared.

"Do you promise to stay away from Bella?" Edward's voice was still calm and collected, yet dark. I felt a shiver run down my spine.

"She's my wife," Mike growled, still thrashing fruitlessly in Edward's hold. "I'll do whatever the hell I want to do to the whore!"

"Excuse me?" Edward's voice lost its calm layer, faltering into icy fury. Mike stopped struggling instantly and I could see the dread on his face as all the color drained from his skin. "What did you just call her?"

Mike stared at me, an anger lurking deep within his terrified eyes. He opened his mouth to speak several times before finally uttering, "I called her a whore."

"Funny," Edward said. He didn't sound like he found it funny at all. He looked frighteningly angry... like a _vampire_. "I thought I misheard you. That's a shame."

There was a sickening crack and Mike fell to the ground howling in pain. His arm hung uselessly to his side, broken in ways that twisted my stomach. He rolled on the ground, clutching at his shattered arm and screaming in pain. "You broke my arm!" he raged, "I'm going to kill you! I'm going to kill her!"

Normally, that would have terrified me.

Nothing was ever normal with Edward. I liked it that way.

"Mike, what are you afraid of?" Edward's question took him off guard. He stared up at him blankly, silent as though he had forgotten the pain in his arm. After a full minute of silence, Edward turned his eyes to me. "Bella, dear?"

"He's terrified of the dark, old movies," Edward laughed loudly at that. I blushed and continued, "And... big foot."

"Ah," Edward mused, "Of all the mythical creatures to be afraid of, he picks Big Foot. What a fool."

Mike sat on the ground, fuming in anger as he held onto his useless arm. Edward stepped closer, kneeling down to stare into Mike's eyes. He grabbed his chin and forced him to look at him. I could have sworn I heard another crack. "Mike, I think it's time for you to be scared."

"W-what?"

And then he was gone.

From downstairs, I heard a soft popping that continued through each room. My brow furrowed in confusion. Mike had begun to shake in fear, "What is he doing?"

I was silent. I had no desire to talk to him after all he had done. The popping continued, rising to upstairs. Soon, I realized, the popping noises were sounding from each light bulb as Edward shattered them with his fist.

Everything went dark.

"Turn them back on!" Mike yelled in the darkness. I felt a pair of ice cold arms wrap about my waist and I was soon lifted and set gently upon the bed. "Crap, crap... TURN THEM ON!"

"Here," Edward whispered, pushing something into my hands. It was metallic and long, ice cold and glass at the top. I stared, confused, into the dark. His lips were at my ear, whispering to softly for Mike to hear over his own howls, "It's a flashlight. Think of campfires, Bella. It'll terrify him, Alice already saw it."

He left my side then and the room began to rattle. Mike had stood up and he began running around the room, fumbling for the lights. There was no way to fix them, of course. He continued to scream, slamming into dressers and doors.

A dark, evil, maniacal laughter filled the room and I recognized it as Edward's. Never had I heard him laugh that way... it was almost comical. He was doing his very best to terrify Mike and it was working.

"Turn on the lights!" Mike screamed, slamming back into the door.

I felt a cold hand brush my shoulder and took it as my cue.

I flicked the switch on the flashlight, allowing the glow to cast shadows across my features as I shined the light up into my face. Mike shrieked like a young girl, his one good hand covering his mouth. He stumbled back in fear, toppling to the ground. He began to scramble, still screaming.

"Mike," I muttered, trying to keep my voice as cruel and spooky as possible, "You have been a very bad boy."

Again, the girlish shriek left his lips. He was on the floor, scrambled into the center of the room... when the door was knocked to the ground. I heard a loud, metal cranking noise and the sound of splintering wood. I began to shake in fear, but Edward's cool embraced calmed me, "Alice... well, she got Allie a little present."

"A present?" Edward cupped my hands gently, turning the light towards the door.

"A tank."

I honestly had to see it to believe it. Allie was riding in the center of a child sized tank. Despite the fact that it was indeed child sized, it still broke the sides of the wall as it pushed through the door. Allie was giggling as madly as Edward had been moments ago. She had a little green army helmet atop her head, one arms raised in the air as she rolled the tank towards Mike, "CHARGE!"

"Oh, god!" Someone shrieked within the room. Alice had joined the fun, "It's a SASQUATCH!"

Silence, save for the tank.

"Alice, he's not that smart."

"Oh, um..." she paused before continuing, "It's BIG FOOT!"

Mike's girlish shriek sounded once again. It grew higher in pitch, followed by continuous screams as Allie drove over Mike's legs with the tank. I heard a loud splintering as his legs cracked beneath the weight of the tank. He thrashed in fury, trying to get away... it was no use.

His legs were crushed.

"No! Not Big Foot!" Mike howled, dragging himself across the floor with his one good arm. "No!"

"Okay, it's time to finish this," Edward muttered, his voice grim. "Alice."

"Yep!" Alice chirped. I could hear the sound of Mike screaming and struggling. Edward's comforting arms scooped me up into his embrace, carrying me along.

"What about Allie?"

"Emmett's got her," Edward assured me.

It wasn't long before we were at their house. In the light of their house I could see the full extent of damage caused to Mike's body. His arm was shattered and twisted, his legs crushed into broken bits. "What are you doing?" He shrieked.

"We've had this planned," Alice answered him, her voice cheerful. "We have a room just for you."

"You can stay there forever," Edward muttered darkly.

"Forever!" Allie giggled.

Mike was dragged into a room set off to the side, a room I had never noticed before. Alice shut the door behind her and I remained with Edward in the hall.

"What is she...?"

"We made that room for him. Alice found out about his horror of old movies a while ago and so we set this up. The room is sound proof, thankfully," Edward grinned crookedly at me, "We're locking him in there with old movies..."

The door opened. Alice was grinning. I could hear the horrible screams through the open doors. The screams of his pain earlier were nothing compared to the screams that were coming out of him now.

"Until he dies."

Ah, justice.

---

**So, what did you think? Did you enjoy it? Let me know! Even though this isn't actually part of the story, I'd still like to know what you thought of it! Leave a cookie.**


	21. His Plan

**1081 REVIEWS! Yay! **

** Okay, I think I left you all off at an exciting cliffhanger last time. I really like this chapter and it's not a double cliffhanger this time! You actually get to find out what happens to Mike NOW! Here it is! Chapter 20! Enjoy!**

** Oh, another note... I don't think everyone realized that the last chapter I posted was a joke. So, I'm guessing they skipped the Author's Note... so here to make sure everyone catches it this time... is Edward!**

** ---**

"Go on, Edward."

He frowned, his gaze flitting to me. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he turned back to the audience, "The last chapter was a joke." He lifted the tiny piece of paper I had instructed him to read, "I did not punch out all the lights," he rolled his eyes, lowering the paper, "Nor would I. I would rather punch Mike then the lights. Honestly, I-"

"Edward, that's not on the paper."

"Right," he sighed, lifting the sheet back to his attention, "Allie did not run over Mike with a tank. We also did not bring that scum infested creature into our home to watch old movies for eternity. Honestly, think of the smell..."

"And?"

"Enjoy the chapter!"

---

Edward

I stood in silence, waiting in the darkness of her closet. Alice had waited outside after the family had departed. She described it as 'being my eyes.' In truth, I knew that she was staying to measure my reactions, to keep me from killing Mike as I so desperately wanted to. I could see it now... it would take none of my strength. It didn't even have to be slow and torturous. I could settle for snapping his neck... just one quick, little...

_Edward!_ Alice's mind came at me harsh and scolding _I already told you, stop thinking that! As much as I like to see Mike dead in your visions, I do need to keep track of Bella's future right now and you're interfering!_

I frowned, trying my best to put a stop to my thoughts of Mike's imminent demise. I stiffened when I heard the door open. "Edward?"

_Not right now,_ Alice's voice invaded my head before I could answer Bella. _Mike has something to tell her. She has to see how serious it's gotten. She needs to talk to Mike._

The window slid open and I longed to take her into my arms as she continued to call for me. I felt a wave of anger rush over me when I heard the door open and shut. Mike.

"Edward!" Bella's excited voice filled my ears. Her shock gasped told me all I needed to know.

"No," Mike's voice was dark, hideous. There was no reason to read his thoughts. He was going to say everything that was in his mind tonight. He was prepared to hurt her with the sick plans he had concocted. "No, not Edward."

My name was venom in his voice.

"Mike, I-" Bella whispered, horrified.

"So, that's why you were busy," Mike mused, although there was no wonder in his voice. He knew already, "Well, Bella, I've been busy, too."

"B-busy?"

"I was talking to Charlie," Of course he was. Mike was smarter than he had been in high school. He was skilled with ways to hurt others. "I told him all about you and Edward. I told him Edward's been back for a few days now... that you've been coming home covered in bruises."

_Edward, don't._ Alice warned.

My body was shaking. How could he? How dare he even say such a thing? I would never hurt Bella, ever. I was not the bastard that he was. My hands were trembling as I held back the desire to jump out and tear Mike into small pieces. We could fake an accident, find a way. Bella wouldn't be charged and we could take her and Allie and leave this place forever. It took everything I had not to growl.

"You-!"

"I told him," Mike interrupted my darling, terrified Bella, "That I asked you to stay away from him. I told him that you said you still love Edward and that you weren't going to leave him. I told him that you don't care how much he hurts you... how much he could hurt Allie."

My hands were still shaking as I held them back, away from the closet door. I was so close to punching through the walls around me. I could hear Alice's frantic voice in my mind, but I was already losing the meaning of her words.

"Edward would never hurt Allie!" Bella's voice held an anger I hadn't heard before.

"Charlie believes it," I could hear the smirk in his voice, "I figured you'd run off to daddy. I figured you'd show him the bruises and tell him it was me. So I told him to wait for it. I told him that was going to be your excuse. Because you'd do... say... anything to protect Edward."

Brilliant.

Mike was a cruel and horrible person, but I could not deny the fact that he was brilliant. Even in my current state, even through all my anger, I could see that simple fact. He had twisted everything around and thrown it onto me. His next step would be easy, flawless. Get the social worker, who he had wrapped conveniently around his finger, to take Bella out of the house.

"He's my father!" Bella's voice was so unsure now, "He'll believe me!"

_He won't._ Alice's sad voice whispered.

"You can try," he laughed then and I felt my hatred surge, "He's really set on hating Edward. I think I have him convinced," Of course, he was right. Charlie was set on hating me... how could he not, after everything I had done?

I listened as Mike's footsteps moved across the wooden floor. My hand flew to open the door. Alice screamed inside my head. "I think I have him scared... because there's a chance, if he believes you, that Edward will hurt Allie."

"He will believe me!" There was no belief in her voice.

"And you will lose Allie," Mike countered. "Go to Edward, Bella." His voice was violent now. He wanted her to leave. He wanted to hurt her through the realization that she wouldn't be able to. "Go to him, you damn whore! Go where you want, you can't have Allie!"

"You'll hurt her!"

"Oh, she'll know more pain," Mike's movements were swift. I heard him step close to Bella and I was out of the closet. Silent. I watched in fury as he touched her cheek, "Than you ever have."

Bella twisted away from his touch, "Don't touch me."

_Edward!_ Alice screamed, her voice horrified, _Edward! He's going to hurt -..._

I didn't need anymore warning. Mike's hand drew back and his mouth uttered words that my mind didn't catch. My hand flashed out and grabbed his wrist, restraining him with ease.

"Mike," my voice was dark, deadly, "You'll step away from her now, or you'll die."

My eyes narrowed. His heart was erratic, "Your choice."

"Let go of me!" Mike shouted, twisting with fury as he tried to face me. His eyes met mine and I flashed him a brutal smile. My hand constricted once on his wrist and I heard a sickening crack. Mike howled in pain and I released him, watching him crumble to the floor. "My hand! You broke my hand!"

"I broke your wrist, you moron," I muttered, pushing past him to pull Bella in my arms. She was trembling, staring at me with wide eyes.

Mike turned to stare at us, his eyes wild, "Why don't you just take her, then? Take her and go!"

"And Allie?" I asked, a brow raised.

"Never," Mike spat, pushing himself up from the floor. He grunted in pain. "You can't have Allie. You can have your damn whore, but -"

"Excuse me?" I questioned, sliding Bella behind my back in a swift, yet gentle movement. I could feel her peering at Mike from over my shoulder. I glared at him, folding my arms over my chest. "I must have misheard you. What did you call her?"

"She is a whore!" Mike shouted. I scoffed inwardly at his bravery. Of course, he didn't know the extent of damage I could cause. "She's been off with you all day, with Allie. Don't think I don't know."

"I think you're mistaking me with someone else," I spoke, my voice growing darker. I stepped forward, my hand wrapping around his neck, "For someone who won't readily kill you. Call her that again and you'll see what I can do."

"Y-you..." Mike sputtered, his body shaking under my hand.

_EDWARD!_ Alice shrieked in my mind. _Edward, don't be an idiot! You don't know what you're doing! _

Oh, I knew perfectly well what I was doing.

"Edward," Bella whispered from behind me. Her warm hand touched my shoulder, "Edward, don't."

I released him at her request, but I did not back away. His hand went to his neck, holding the place I had as though he were checking for damages. He stared at Bella then, "I told Jessica that you were with him."

If I had blood, it would have run colder than my skin at his words.

"I told her the same things I told Charlie," he grin was as wild as his eyes. Laughter escaped him and I felt dread wash over me.

"What do you mean?" Bella whispered. She hadn't connected the two together.

"Do you realize the power Jessica has?" Mike laughed at her. I felt the strong desire to choke the life out of him, but Bella's hand on my shoulder reminded me of her wishes. "She's coming here now, Bella."

"W-what..." Bella was stuttering. Her fingers had grown cold, her hand shaking, "What?"

"He didn't let me finish," Mike shot me a glare, trying to keep the fear from his eyes. "Jessica is coming to remove you from this house."

"What?" Bella shouted, trying to push past me. I wrapped an arm around her to keep her back. "What do you mean, remove me from this house?"

"What does it sound like?" Mike yelled, his eyes flashing, "You took Allie out of the house, out of school, without telling me where you were going! You took her to see him, who, as far as anyone is concerned, beats you! You're an unfit mother!"

"And you'll be an unfit father when you're dead," I warned, stepping closer. Mike took a step back, fear crossing his face. "Although, you can't be much worse than what you are now."

"It doesn't matter," he tried to keep his voice strong, but the fear was still evident, "They're coming to take her out of here. She'll have nowhere to go."

"She'll be with me," I assured him. I could hear Bella's sobs from behind me and I turned to pull her into my arms, trying to comfort her.

"Not for long!" Mike laughed, "They'll take her from the house and once the courts find out she's with you, they'll never give her custody of Allie!"

Bella's cries wracked her body. As much as I wanted to kill Mike for his words, I would not leave her side. I continued to run my hand soothingly down her back. I kissed her hair, whispering anything to make her calm down. "Bella, it's fine. He doesn't know what he's talking about. We'll talk to Charlie, we'll get this straightened out."

"Like hell you will!" Mike shouted. Through his mind, I saw his thoughts of hitting me. He thought, for some strange reason, that because my back was turned he would be able to hurt me.

I allowed him to test that theory.

I heard his fist fly through the air and almost felt it strike my back. Almost. I did, however, hear the sickening crack as his hand broke into who knew how many pieces. He screamed in agony, his body hitting the floor. I turned, glancing at him as he writhed on the ground in pure agony, "You're a fool, Mike. And if you think that hurts, trust me. It's only just begun."

"You may be stronger than me," Mike shouted through his pain, "But that won't stop me from hurting her."

"Mike, I am stronger than you." I agreed. I released Bella reluctantly, kneeling down to push my fingers under Mike's chin. I forced him to look up at me, wishing I could break his skull without any repercussions. "I am also a hell of a lot smarter than you. I will not allow you to take Bella from me. I lost her once. I will never lose her again."

Mike stared back at me, hate radiating in his eyes. His breaths came in uneven gasps, rattling horribly in his chest. He held his hand to his chest as he sat up, his eyes moving to the window. A twisted grin moved onto his lips when he saw something he must have liked.

_Oh crap!_ Alice shouted in my mind. _Edward, get out of there now! They're here! You have to leave. If you don't they'll take it as an excuse to arrest you for trespassing._

I scoffed at the idea. It would be only too easy to escape.

_Is that your plan, then? _Alice's voice was harsh. _Do you want to make this harder on her? They won't do anything to you otherwise. Don't give them a reason, or a chance. Bella's safe – he won't hurt her with the social worker and cops there. Just get out!_

I stared into Bella's eyes, desperately trying to listen to Alice's words. The sirens sounded in the driveway, the flashing lights turning the bedroom colors. Red, blue, red, blue. Bella gripped my hand, "Edward, go. I'll be okay. Meet me when you can."

_Edward, NOW!_

With one last, longing glance. I stood up and exited through the window. As soon as I hit the ground, I took off into the woods.

Even through the distance, I could hear Mike utter two horrible words to Bella. I could practically feel her pain.

"They're here."

---

**So, what do you think? They're going to take Bella out of the house – how is Edward going to fix this? Let me know what you think! I know the Edward-Mike battle didn't have too much action, but come on! If it did... well, Mike would be dead! Leave a cookie! The next chapter is going to... well, it's going to shock you.**


	22. Begging Visions

**1195 REVIEWS! Thanks, you are still so awesome!**

**I don't know if I'll be able to write much at the bottom of this chapter... because... well, I'm currently fearing the reactions to this... and crying. Please review. Please, please? Trust me, I will get the next chapter out even faster if you do. Please?  
**

**Here it is... Chapter 21...**

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Bella

"Please!" I screamed, dropping to the floor as my sorrow consumed me. I sobbed uncontrollably, my body shaking, "Please, Mike! Don't do this! Don't take her from me!"

"You brought this upon yourself, Bella," he spoke, his words venomous. "You decided to run off to Edward. You decided to divorce me. This is all your fault. It will be all your fault when Allie's hurt."

"Please, Mike! Please, please, please!" my words blurred through my sobs. My mind was racing, trying to find a way to make this better. A way to keep me with Allie. I couldn't leave her with him. I couldn't! "I'll stay!"

"What?" his voice didn't sound as shocked as it should have been. I crawled, unable to stand, and held onto his legs, begging.

"I'll stay, Mike! I swear, I'll stay with you!" The words were tearing my heart to shreds as I spoke them. I wanted nothing more than to run away from Mike forever, but I couldn't do so without Allie. I wanted Edward more than anything in this world, but I couldn't let him hurt her. "I promise! Please, Mike. Let me stay."

"And you'll never see him again?" He asked. A smile was in his voice. I looked up to him to see the cruel victory in his face. Never see Edward again? I imagined my life for a moment without him. A life from only two days ago. A life where Mike's beatings where always present. Never again would I be pulled into his cool embrace.

I couldn't. I couldn't do that... willingly never see Edward again? I was incapable of such a thing. My words choked in my throat at the thought. All I could do was nod.

"It's too bad," Mike muttered, "He's in love with a bitch that would leave him at the first sign of trouble."

My eyes widened.

"I don't want you, Bella," he knelt down to stare at me, his eyes dark and cold, "I wanted you once, maybe. Now all I want to do is hurt you."

He brushed his fingers though my hair, smiling cruelly, "Is it working?"

I stared at him in terror, my lower lip trembling. My face crumpled in pain and my hands drew up to my face as I lost myself in another fit of sobs. This couldn't be happening. I had it all figured out. It was all so perfect. We were going to get away. We were going to escape. And now...

"Mommy?" Allie whispered from the doorway. I looked up in time to see her terrified eyes as she tried to run to me, "Mommy! Mommy!"

"She's not your mommy anymore," Mike said, putting out a hand to stop her. She halted, staring at him in utter sadness.

"Don't say that to her!"

"I'll say anything I want to her," Mike spoke, his face twisted.

"She is my mom!" Allie shouted, pulling away from Mike's arm and trying once again to run to me. He scooped her up from the floor before we could touch. She shrieked.

"Let her go!" I pushed myself up from the ground, reaching for her. He made no move to strike me. He simply turned and walked down the hall, "What are you doing? Mike! Put her down! Mike, let her go!"

"You're going to stay in here," Mike spoke to her as he pushed her into her room. She toppled over onto her plush carpet, staring at him with wide eyes. "And you're going to be quiet, do you understand me?"

Allie could only nod.

"Allie!" I yelled, staring at her one last time before Mike shut the door. He twisted the lock in place and slipped the key into his pocket.

"Let's go," his voice was grim.

"Hit me!"

"What?" he turned to stare at me, his face innocent.

"Hit me!" I shrieked, pounding my fists against his chest. I wanted him to beat me. I wanted him to bruise me. I wanted to be harmed for all of them to see. For all of them to know that it was Mike. "Hurt me! You bastard, you waste! HIT ME!"

His hands clamped over my wrists. He stared into my eyes, his expression insanely calm and his eyes crazed. He leaned forward and kissed me chastely, pulling away with a sick grin, "Come on, darling. It's time for you to go."

"No!" There was a knock at the door. He pulled me into his arms and carried me down the stairs. I struggled the entire way, trying desperately to escape. He held me right and secure, but there was no pain. No injuries. Nothing to help me. "Oh, god! No! Please! NO!"

He set me down at the door, shooting me a terrifying smile before pulling the door open. "Hello, Jessica."

"Mike," she greeted him, her voice happy.

"Thank you so much for coming at such a late hour. I know that it's a trouble, but I just couldn't allow my darling angel to be hurt when Bella is running off to that man," Mike's voice was so fake. I felt my stomach twist sickeningly.

"Of course," she stepped into the house, looking to me, "It's a shame, really. Allie is such a sweet girl, but I agree. She can not be exposed to Bella's dangerous decisions. We can't stop her from seeing him, but we can make sure that Allie will not be hurt because of it."

"Jessica, please," I pleaded with her. She stared at me with a smile, "Please, don't take her from me! Don't make me leave!"

"Bella," Jessica spoke, using my name for the first time in the longest time, "I am within full rights to remove you from this house. Your behavior is a risk to Allie. You will have to take up residence with someone else, perhaps Charlie, until the divorce and custody hearings."

"No! No, no," I begged, the room blurring through my tears. How could this be happening?

"You are allowed to see Allie, under supervision," Jessica continued, her voice professional and uncaring to my pleas, "Simply inform Mike, or myself, and I will make sure that someone is present to observe your visits with Allie."

"I won't leave!" I tried to keep my voice strong, but it broke through my sobs.

"If you are going to be problematic," Jessica threatened, "I will have the authorities remove you from the premises."

"Great!" I shouted, "Bring Charlie in, then!"

"Charlie isn't here," Jessica informed me, "I requested police outside of this community. Charlie doesn't need to be hurt by this."

"I'm not going to leave her with him!" I screamed. "I won't!"

"Please, take her out of here," Jessica called, her voice disgusted. Two large men walked into the room, placing their arms around me.

"No!" I struggled. They pulled me along, against my will. "No! Allie! ALLIE! NO!"

"I'm going to have Charlie watch the house," I heard Jessica whisper to Mike, even through my screams.

"Let me go! You don't know what your doing!" My struggles were useless. I was outside now. I stared up at Allie's window and saw her staring at me with terrified eyes. Tears streamed down her cheeks, as uncontrollable as my own. "Allie! Allie, I won't leave you! Oh, god! Let me go, let me GO! Allie!"

I was in the street now. Jessica was walking away from the house and the door was closed. They released me then and I collapsed on the sidewalk, unable to stand through my sobs. "Ma'am, you will have to find other residence. Another officer will be here shortly. If you are not off of the premises by then, you will be taken into custody."

The words were twisted, garbled garbage that barely reached my ears. The flashing lights disappeared and all that was left were my sobs. Suddenly, I was encased in a pair of cold marble arms. Seconds had passed. It felt like centuries. "Oh, Bella," Edward whispered, "Bella, I'm so sorry."

"Take..." my words caught in my throat. I wanted to get out of here before the police arrived. We could go home, figure out something... anything. Then, Edward could bring me back here to watch over Allie, away from the peering eyes of others. "Take me home."

He didn't have to ask. He knew what I meant. He scooped me up into his arms and stood. I had my eyes closed, but I knew we were running to his home now. The cool air and rain felt like a relief against my burning cheeks. I relished in it, waiting for us to arrive. He would figure something out. We would be all right. Allie would be okay.

She had to be.

"Bella!" Alice's voice rang through my ears. My eyes snapped open, taking in my surroundings. "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"Stop," my head pressed against Edward's chest, "Stop apologizing. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"This is not your fault!" Rosalie's enraged voice was beside me. I turned to her, my eyes terrified. She was furious, "This is his fault! I'm going to kill him! I'm going to get rid of the damn problem!"

"Yes, Rosalie, that's very helpful," Alice spat, her voice acidic. Her anger was so unlike her. "Kill Mike, right after Bella has been pulled away from the home screaming for Allie. She won't be suspected at all."

"Do you have a better plan?" Rosalie countered.

"I..." Alice sighed, her gaze dropping, "Bella."

"Yes, Alice?" my words broke. Edward pulled me closer. He was silent, staring at me with pain radiating in his eyes.

"Let's run."

"What?" Edward asked, his head snapping up. Alice must have been hiding her thoughts.

"Let's take Allie and run," Alice continued, "Kill him if you want, I don't care. If we can run, it won't matter. They'll want us for kidnapping, why not add to the list?"

"Run away?" my hopes soared, "But where?"

"Denali, to start," Alice muttered, "It's remote. They won't know to look for us there. We can continue on where ever we need to. With Edward's mind reading and my predictions, they can't find us."

"I'll home school Allie," Esme spoke from the stairs. "You don't need to worry about her education."

I turned to look at Edward. He sighed, "I hoped that we could do this easier, so you didn't have to run away from everything... but this is becoming the only choice we have. If you want to, it's what we'll do."

"Then it's settled!" Alice cheered, clapping her hands together. "Let's pack and then we'll get Allie!"

We went into the house. I staggered over to the couch, still too shaken to walk very far. Edward stared at me, worried, "Bella, do you want me to bring you upstairs while I pack?"

"No," I whispered, settling into the comfortable seat. He nodded, turning, "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can you..." I stared down at the cushion beside me, "Can you sit with me? Just for a little bit?"

"Bella," Edward's velvet voice was by my ear then. He pulled me into his embrace, "I will be here for as long as you want me to be."

"How could all of this have happened?" I whimpered.

"Bella," he whispered my name comfortingly, rubbing my back softly, "I'm sorry. He decided so suddenly... Alice had no time to warn us. He turned this on all of us so quickly. I didn't think he had it in him, to be honest."

A part of his voice almost sound impressed. I sighed, "It surprised me, too. I never thought he had it in him to be so... smart."

"I won't let him hurt you, Bella," Edward continued to whisper. I could melt to the sound of his voice. "When you're ready, we'll go and pack our bags. We can be to your house and take Allie away from -"

His body stiffened against mine and I winced slightly as he gripped me a bit too hard around my bruises. I stared up at him, confused. I felt all of the color drain from my face at his expression. His eyes were wide, his lips parted in a silent gasp. He looked utterly terrified.

I heard movement and I glanced up in time to see Alice stumbled down the stairs. She gripped the railing, staring at me in horror. She gasped one word, "Allie."

I was in Edward's arms before I had time to fully take in the urgency of the situation. Edward turned to Alice, "How long?"

They shared one look and then he was out the door, carrying me.

We raced back to my home. I could not find the strength in me to say a word. Something had happened. Something terrible had happened. I kept praying that we were able to stop it in time. Edward ran faster than I had ever seen him run before. We were outside the front of my house when he lowered me to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie's voice fumed from behind us, "Edward, get away from Bella!"

But Edward wasn't listening to him. He held my hand in his, pulling me along with him as we ran to the door. It was locked, as I had predicted earlier. With a swift kick, Edward tore down the door and cleared the way. He lifted me swiftly, carrying me into the house. The house had a dreamlike quality to it. Everything did. I could hear Charlie screaming from behind us, following us into the house. Everything moved so slow. So terribly slow.

There was an overturned chair in the kitchen, Allie's favorite blankie left on the ground. I felt dread chill me to the bone. We raced up the stairs and I turned to run into Allie's room. Edward stopped me, pulling me towards the bathroom instead.

Charlie was there, "What are you doing? Bella, you have to leave!"

Edward kicked open the door to the bathroom, revealing the scene inside to me. I stared, all thoughts leaving my mind. All the air rushed out of my longs in a horrified gasp. My hands, trembling in shock, lifted slowly to my face. My fingers twisted into my locks of hair and my eyes widened in a painful realization. I fell to my knees and screamed.

"ALLIE!"

---

**...review.**


	23. Seconds

**1368 REVIEWS! It was 144 reviews on the last chapter alone, amazing! **

**Well, I promised you all an update, so I'm loading this up quickly before I have to head out for Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, by the way! **

**I'll admit... this is getting a little harder to write right now. It's making me cry. This is from Edward's POV. You'll get to find out a little more about what happened in the last chapter... Please, please review.**

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Edward

"No!" I roared, struggling fruitlessly against Emmett and Jasper. I had willingly left Bella's side at Alice's request, retreating into the woods to wait for the worst to come. Alice had swore that Bella would not be harmed and that everything would be fine so long as I left the house. I should have noticed the cloudiness of her mind, her attempt to block certain thoughts from me. When I pushed through the trees, I saw her waiting, flanked by Emmett and Jasper.

She smiled apologetically, "I saw that you were going to be difficult."

She was right.

It all happened so quickly that, even with my speed and heightened senses, I could hardly keep up. Bella's sobbing screams reached me, terrible and broken. My body responded, instinctively lurching forward, back toward the house. I slammed into Alice who, having predicted my reaction, stood in my way. Jasper and Emmett grabbed my arms and pulled me back.

"No!" I screamed, fighting against my captors, "He's going to hurt her, isn't he?" My eyes flashed in anger as they flickered to Alice's face, "You took me out of there knowing he'd hurt her! You're going to let him-"

A white hand flew out and smacked across my cheek. My head whipped to the side from the force of the blow, my eyes widening in shock. I turned, slowly, to stare at Alice. Her breathing was heavy – her normally cheerful face twisted into an anger that I had not seen before.

"How dare you," she breathed. I stopped struggling, incapable of anything but shock. "I care about Bella, Edward! You, of all people, should know that! I could never,_would ever_, do anything to hurt her!"

"Alice-"

"I am doing this for her, Edward," Alice urged on, "I'm not worried about you. I know they're just humans. I know that you can handle them. They would arrest you and you would just break out. Then we'd have to run and hide. You'll just make it harder to protect her!"

"Alice-" I tried again, but she was not done.

"Yet you think I want to hurt her! You don't understand that this is the best. It hurts now, it's hard now... but it's for the best," she was rambling now. There was amusement in my eyes, I knew it.

"Alice," I spoke louder now, a chuckle in my voice, "I was going to apologize. I overreacted – you're right. I was wrong to say that to you."

"Edward," her voice was once again a twinkling of bells, "I know you were going to apologize. I also know that you'll overreact in thirty seconds from now. I'm trying to prevent _that_."

"Is it working?"

"No," she answered, her voice frustrated.

I began to realize how much this entire situation was taking out of Alice. She was normally such a happy person. It was a very rare occasion in which she shouted or even became angry. She had done both of those in the past five minutes. She was as upset as the rest of us and this time she wasn't able to hide it. Bella's pain had taken its toll on her.

"I'll try to stay calm." It was a hopeful promise that I knew I would break. After her words, I was on edge, waiting for those thirty seconds to pass. I tensed, my muscles tightening as I readied my escape. Alice stared at me expectantly. It wouldn't be long now.

"HIT ME!" I heard Bella's voice shriek from the house. All thoughts left my mind and my body, once again, tried to move of its own accord. Jasper and Emmett were nearly ripped to the ground as I tried to forcibly pull myself from their cage of arms. I was unsuccessful, snarling and ripping viciously as I tried to get towards the screams of my love's voice.

"Edward!" Alice yelled, still standing in front of me. "Edward, he won't do it! He's not going to hit her, I swear! Calm down!"

"Why?" I roared, still struggling despite Alice's assurances, "Why would she ask him that?"

"She wants him to mark her," her voice was dark, "She wants to have something to show social services and the police when they arrive. Mike knows exactly what she wants... that's why he won't hurt her."

"It's taking all his restraint," Jasper muttered, "I can feel him from here."

"But he won't do it," Alice said once again, trying to reassure me. My attempts began to weaken. "Edward, she's going to go through a lot of pain right now, but our presence can do nothing to make that any easier. I promise you, we'll go to her as soon as we can. Right now, you have to stay here."

"Would you say the same if it were Jasper there?" I snapped.

"It would be hard," Alice reasoned, her voice unsure, "But if it was for the best... if I could see that it was for the best..."

"Let me go!" Bella's voice echoed louder now. They were pulling her outside. I could see her from here, struggling desperately against the police that pulled her away from the house. Her face was wet with her tears. "Allie! Allie, I won't leave you! Oh, god! Let me go, let me GO!"

"Alice," I growled her name, "I am going to have to rip Jasper's arm off. You can _see_ that, right?"

"Edward," Alice sighed. She watched for a moment as they got into their cars and drove off. "Go."

My arms were released and I was running in the same moment. I could not think of a time when I had run faster than this. I enveloped Bella in my arms, pulling her deep into my embrace. Her body shook with sobs, breaking my heart, "Oh, Bella," I whispered into her hair, brushing my lips to her head, "Bella, I'm so sorry."

"Take," her words were watery and broken, "Take me home."

I didn't question her, scooping her up into my arms. I knew where she wanted to go, the home that she was talking about. I stood slowly, cradling my love to my chest. I took off to the house, racing through the trees that I had been standing amongst moments ago. Alice, Jasper and Emmett were gone, already having left for the house themselves. Bella's warming scent engulfed me, strengthened with her tears.

The wind whipped past us and I tried my best to focus on my destination. It was too difficult to concentrate on what just happened while running. It was a scenario that would consume all of my thoughts. It wasn't long until we arrived at the house, Alice running to us.

"Bella!" Her eyes and voice were full of worry, "Oh, Bella, I'm so sorry!"

"Stop," Bella muttered, pressing her head hard against my chest. I watched her with worried eyes, "Stop apologizing. It's my fault. It's all my fault."

"This is not your fault!" Rosalie's came storming out of the house, her eyes blazing with a fury I had never seen before. Her thoughts were murderous "This is his fault! I'm going to kill him! I'm going to get rid of the damn problem!"

"Yes, Rosalie, that's very helpful," Alice spat, her eyes flashing. She had tried to keep her calm around Bella, but the emotions were rising rapidly. "Kill Mike, right after Bella has been pulled away from the home screaming for Allie. She won't be suspected at all."

As much as I hated to admit it, Alice was right. It would cause far too many problems for Bella. We could run, but I had no idea if that would be an option for her.

"Do you have a better plan?" Rosalie countered.

"I..." Alice sighed. She lowered her gaze as she addressed my love, "Bella."

"Yes, Alice?" Her voice shattered and I pulled her deeper into my embrace, trying to offer her some comfort.

"Let's run."

"What?" My head snapped up at this. Alice's thoughts had been guarded, hiding this plan.

"Let's take Allie and run," Alice continued, "Kill him if you want, I don't care. If we can run, it won't matter. They'll want us for kidnapping, why not add to the list?"

"Run away?" Bella's voice sounded hopeful. I could only hope that she would agree to this idea, "But where?"

"Denali, to start," Alice muttered, "It's remote. They won't know to look for us there. We can continue on where ever we need to. With Edward's mind reading and my predictions, they can't find us."

She was right. It would be nearly impossible for them to ever track us down. Still... there were so many concerns. Allie's schooling, for one.

"I'll home school Allie," Esme spoke from the stairs. I laughed silently. And here I thought I was the mind reader. "You don't need to worry about her education."

Bella looked to me, wonder in her eyes. I sighed and tried to offer her the most encouraging of smiles, "I hoped that we could do this easier, so you didn't have to run away from everything... but this is becoming the only choice we have. If you want to, it's what we'll do."

She nodded. My heart soared.

"Then it's settled!" Alice cheered, clapping her hands together. "Let's pack and then we'll get Allie!"

Everyone raced to start packing immediately. Bella, however, took shaky steps over to the couch.

"Bella, do you want me to bring you upstairs while I pack?" I asked as I watched her stumble to the couch.

"No," She took a seat. I nodded quickly and turned to start my own packing, "Edward?"

"Yes?"

"Can you..." She stared down at the cushion next to her. I was walking over to take a seat before she had even finished her sentence, "Can you sit with me? Just for a little bit?"

"Bella," I whispered her beautiful name into her ear, pulling her close, "I will be here for as long as you want me to be."

"How could all of this have happened?"

"Bella," I whispered, trying to keep my voice soft and comforting. I ran my hand slowly along her back. "I'm sorry. He decided so suddenly... Alice had no time to warn us. He turned this on all of us so quickly. I didn't think he had it in him, to be honest."

"It surprised me, too. I never thought he had it in him to be so... smart."

"I won't let him hurt you, Bella," I continued to whisper. "When you're ready, we'll go and pack our bags. We can be to your house and take Allie away from -"

_Oh god._

Alice's thoughts came from upstairs. Following her mind, I was enveloped in her vision.

_"Daddy!" Allie screamed, pounding hard against the door in an attempt to get out. He had told her to be quiet, but she knew that the people were gone now. She had to know what was going on._

_She could hear bath water running in the tub down the hall, so Mike had to be upstairs. Why wasn't he answering her? Why wasn't he opening the door for her? She waited, desperately pounding against the wood. Soon, heavy footsteps sounded down the hall and the soft click of the lock on her door signified her freedom. The door opened._

_"Allie, baby," Mike cooed, leaning down to scoop her up. He cradled her in his arms, staring at her with a smile that did not reach his eyes, "How about we get you some hot cocoa to help you sleep?"_

_"But daddy, I'm not tired. I want mo-"_

_"I told you Allie," he kissed her forehead roughly and started down the stairs. "You have no mommy."_

_Allie had tears welling in her eyes as she pulled her blankie closer to her chest, trying to escape in the comfort it brought her. Mike set her down in a chair at the table and turned to the stove where he began to prepare her hot cocoa. Allie waited, silently.  
_

_"We're going to be a happy family, Allie," Mike reassured her as he poured water into the kettle. She watched him with a frown._

_"Daddy, I want mommy."_

_"You have no mom!" he snapped, turning to her with a fury in his eyes. He tried to compose himself, tried to force the calm back on his face, "It's going to be you and daddy now."_

_"I want Edward."_

_The tea kettle clattered to the floor._

_"What?"_

_"I want Edward," Allie whimpered, her voice quivering in fear. _

_"Just like your mother," Mike spat, "Edward's a bad man."_

_"Mommy loves Edward!" Allie yelled, her voice stronger now. "I love Edward! You're a bad man!"_

_Mike's hand flew through the air and struck Allie roughly across her cheek. Her head snapped back, the chair tipping over from the force of the blow. The wood clattered to the floor and Allie rolled to the ground, her blanket fluttering off to the side. She turned over, staring at Mike with wide, terrified eyes. _

_"I tried to be nice, Allie!" he raged. She squealed, trying to scoot away. She was too little, too slow. He grabbed her roughly by the arm, dragging her across the room. She stumbled along, pulling uselessly in an attempt to get free, "We could have hurt her together. I tried to be nice."_

_"Daddy!" Allie cried, tugging still, "Daddy, it hurts!"_

_They were up the stairs now. He pushed her into the bathroom and she fell to the tiled floor. She scrambled, trying to fix herself into a corner. Somewhere, anywhere, in hopes that he wouldn't be able to reach her._

_He reached her._

_He gripped her head and pushed her into the bathwater. Allie struggled, her hands clawing at his. Muffled screams bubbled the water as Mike yelled out a myriad of obscenities. "This is because of her, Allie! Your mommy did this to you! It's all your fault! I hate her. I hate her. I HATE YOU!"_

_The struggles stopped._

_Her hands fell._

_Nothing._

_Nothing._

_Gone._

The room appeared around me and I acted as swiftly as I could. I pulled Bella into my arms and whirled around to face Alice, who was waiting at the stairs. "How long?"

_Go!_

The run back to Bella's house was a blur. The speed with which I had run to Bella earlier was nothing compared to this. My body ached with the force of my speed. I pushed on, desperately hoping to reach Allie before the worst could happen. I could gain nothing from Alice's mind except her frantic plea for me to go.

My eyes flashed to Charlie, heard him speak words that I couldn't recognize right now. I lowered Bella to the ground to kick down the door that was surely locked. I reached back and lifted Bella, sweeping her swiftly over the mess of wood left on the ground. Charlie was following us. Something I would have to keep in mind if... if...

No.

An overturned chair.

No.

A kettle on the ground, water splashed everywhere.

No!

A forgotten blanket.

NO!

I pulled Bella up the stairs, ever conscious of her delicate nature... even in my current state of mind. She turned towards Allie's room, but I pulled her back towards the bathroom. The place I knew Allie would be now.

I pushed open the door and Bella reacted instantaneously.

She lost all of her breath in one swift whoosh of air. Her hands trembled, pulling up into her hair. Her eyes were wide as she took in the scene that I had seen mere minutes ago. She dropped to her knees, a painfully anguished scream ripping from her throat. "ALLIE!"

I looked through the door.

No.

No. No, no.

NO!

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**...review.**


	24. When Angels Cry

**I'll warn you now... this chapter gets very emotional and upsetting. Despite that, I hope you'll continue to read. Chapter 23.**

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Bella

No.

This couldn't be happening. This just couldn't be happening.

I stared at Allie, whose little body was slumped over the edge of the tub. I could not see her head from my place on the floor, but I knew that it was still under the water. She wasn't moving. Her chest wasn't falling and lifting with the sweet breaths of life I had seen her take only hours ago. Mike was huddled back in a corner, his hands in his hair, much like my own. He stared at the tub, his eyes wide with horror.

"Allie!" Edward's voice ripped me from my current state of terror. He ran forward, pulling her frail body from the water. He cradled her in his arms, her small head falling back against his chest. Her wet hair left wet trails down his tan shirt. Her eyes were closed. "Oh, god! No, Allie!"

Edward sobbed, his hands searching desperately along the length of her small wrists as he tried hopelessly to find a pulse that he should have been able to hear. "No! Please, no, no. Please, please, _please_!"

I sat there shaking, my hands dropping lifelessly to the floor as I watched the terrible scene unfold before my eyes. Edward was shaking with his sobs, although no tears would fall from his eyes. His hands still roamed her arms, still searching for something that he would never find again. "No, don't let this happen! No, no! NO!"

Allie was dead.

My little girl. My darling little girl. The sunshine of my life through four years of darkness.

Was dead.

I crawled along the floor, no longer able to walk on the shaky balance of my legs. I pulled myself to Edward who had enveloped Allie in his arms. He rocked back and forth, cradling her head in his hand, sobbing. I lifted a trembling hand and touched her wet hair. The shocking chill of it shook me back. Violently, I was forced into the reality of the situation.

"No..." the word sounded weak, useless on my lips. I pulled myself closer, my hands moving along Allie's back. Edward moved his arms, allowing me access as I began my own vain search for the life in her veins. "Allie, baby... Allie, it's time to wake up."

I reached for her, my arms wrapping around her slim waist. I pulled her into my arms and cradled her small form. Like Edward, I began to rock her slowly, "Allie, wake up, baby." My words were strained, breaking under the pressure of my tears, "Oh, Allie... mommy needs you to wake up. Please, baby... please, wake up."

"She's not going to wake up." Mike spat, making his presence known.

Edward's body left my side in a split second. I could hear Mike's scream as Edward reached him in that moment. I could hear Charlie's screams from behind me. I could hear everything and yet... I could hear nothing. None of it mattered. Edward could kill Mike. Mike could die. Charlie could arrest Edward. Edward could break out. It didn't matter.

None of it mattered.

"Edward, let him go!" Charlie shouted, clambering past me.

"No!" Edward roared. "He deserves to die! He needs to die!"

"Then why haven't you killed me yet?" Mike asked, his voice violent. None of it mattered. Nothing, nothing.

"Because I want to see you suffer, first," Edward growled, his voice deadly, "I'm doing _everything_ I can to restrain myself from killing you now. I want you to suffer. I want you to beg for me to kill you."

"Edward, I can't allow you to do that," Charlie spoke, his voice wavering.

"You don't have to," Edward snapped, "Just turn around."

"Edward, I have to take him into custody," Charlie continued, his voice soft. "He'll suffer plenty where he's going. Please, Edward. You have to let him go."

I listened, staring down at my daughter. There was a long moment of strained silence and then a heavy thud. My eyes drifted up to see Edward back away from Mike. Charlie advanced forward, placing the cuffs around Mike's waiting wrists. My gaze drifted back down.

"Edward," I muttered, my voice distant, "Edward, get Carlisle. Something is wrong with Allie. She won't wake up."

More silence.

"Bella," Charlie whispered, his voice pained. I looked up to see Edward staring at me with agonized eyes. "Bella, Allie's... Allie's..."

"Not waking up."

"She's not going to wake up, Bella." Charlie finished, his words choking on his own tears. I stared at him blankly.

What was he talking about?

"She's going to wake up," my voice was sure. I looked back down to her, rocking her in my arms. "We just need to get Carlisle. She'll wake up."

"Bella..."

"She has to." I spoke louder now.

"Bella, she's..."

Edward was silent through all of this, staring at me with the same tortured eyes. Why wasn't he getting Carlisle?

"She's dead, Bella," Charlie sank down to his knees in front of me. He set a soft hand upon Allie's head, brushing her wet hair, "She's gone now."

"She's going to wake up." I argued.

"She's not going to wake up, honey," Charlie continued, urging me to understand, "Let her sleep, Bella."

I stared down at Allie, unaware of the tears that were pouring down my cheeks. My head bobbed up and down slowly... I guess it was a nod. I stood on trembling legs. "Bella?" Edward spoke, his voice cracked, "Bella, where are you going?"

"To put her in her bed," I answered simply.

"Oh, Bella..." Edward whispered, standing. He pulled me into his arms, Allie cradled between us. He pressed kisses to my forehead, whispering my name softly, "Bella... Bella, you have to let her go... Bella... I'm so sorry..." his voice broken in a sob, "Oh, god... Bella... I'm so sorry..."

"I told you that I'd hurt you." Mike's words were twisted in whatever rage he had left over.

He didn't matter anymore.

"Mike, let's go," Charlie whispered for my benefit. He grabbed Mike roughly by the cuffs, ripping him up. I heard Mike gasp in pain. "Edward?"

He didn't let me go. "Yes?"

"You should call Carlisle," Charlie spoke through tears, "You... you should bring him here to..."

"I know, Charlie," Edward murmured into my hair. "Just get him out of here, please."

There were heavy footsteps, but no sound of struggle. I heard the steps follow down the stairs and trampling over a fallen door. Then, silence.

Edward released one of his arms, searching his pocket. A moment later, he pulled out a phone. I heard a few soft beeps. "Carlisle?"

More silence. "We're upstairs."

"Alice told me what happened," Carlisle spoke as Edward snapped the phone shut. Edward released me as Carlisle came closer, "I came as quickly as I could."

"She won't wake up," I whimpered.

"I'm so sorry, Bella," Carlisle whispered. He reached forward, scooping Allie into his own arms. I released her, reluctantly. "She's gone, Bella."

"She's right there."

Cool arms wrapped around my waist as Edward pulled me close. "Bella, she's dead," he choked the words out through a sob, "She's dead. She won't wake up, sweetheart."

"No..." I moaned, the word broken off as horror consumed me. He knelt down as I sank to my knees, allowing me to rest on the floor. My head fell against his chest. "No, no... Oh, why... No..."

"I know, Bella," Edward continued in whispered tones. He rocked me back and forth, just as he had rocked Allie's limp form. His hands rubbed along my back. The room was silent, aside from our sobs. Tears and none. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I... I tried... I..."

His words were consumed by more tearless sobs.

We sat in misery, holding onto each other for dear life. Almost everything had shattered in that moment. That single, horrifying moment when I saw what Mike had done. Almost everything. I held everything that was left in my arms. Something left to go on for. Something left to live for. I buried myself deeper into his embrace.

I had no idea how much time had passed. Light touched my eyelids, warm and welcoming. I opened my eyes and peered around the room. I was resting in the guest bedroom. Through my tears, I had drifted into a deep sleep. The light of day was harsh in the painful realization that last night had actually happened.

"How are you?" Edward whispered from my side. I turned to face him.

"I..." my voice cracked, "I don't know."

Edward nodded in understanding. I had never seen so much pain on his face. It broke my heart to know what had caused it. I eased myself into his arms, longing to be close. I rested my head upon his chest, "Edward... Oh, Edward... how could this have happened?"

He was silent. I turned my gaze up to him to find him measuring his response. "You saw it, didn't you? What he did?"

"Yes," his answer was pained.

"What..." I didn't know if I wanted to know the answer, "What did he... why did he?"

"Allie kept asking for you," Edward spoke. His voice was no longer cracking from tears. The pain was still evident in his eyes. "He kept telling her that she had no mom. She said she wanted..."

He stopped there, turning his head. He stared out the window, biting his lower lip.

"Wanted what?"

"Me," was his choked response.

"Oh..." I whispered.

"He told her I was a bad man. She told him that..." he shook his head, shutting his eyes tightly. He let out a rush of air and turned his eyes back to me, "That he was a bad man. That's when he..."

He shook his head again, obviously not able to continue. I nodded softly, "I know." I took his hand in mine and squeezed it tightly.

"Bella, I'm so sorry," he gasped, the words breaking through another sob.

"It's not your fault, Edward."

"I tried... I tried to get there in time," his other hand, the one not held in mine, flew to his forehead, covering his eyes. "I couldn't save her."

"It's not your fault."

"I promised her," his hand was trembling, "I told her that I would save her. I told her I would save you."

"She's safe now," I whispered. His hand lowered and he gazed at me through confused eyes. "He can't hurt her anymore. She's safe... he won't ever hurt her."

Edward's face crumpled in absolute sadness.

"Edward..." he nodded, to show he was listening. His gaze was lowered, pained, "I need to leave here. I don't want to come back. Can I... can we..."

"Yes," he answered simply. His eyes moved up to mine. "Yes, we can go."

He pulled me into his arms and moved from the bed. I slipped my arms around his neck, my head pressed against the fabric of his shirt. I shut my eyes, having no desire to see any of this house again. This house was never a home. Allie had been home. She was gone and she had taken the feeling from the house with her. We descended the stairs and I felt Edward pause.

I opened my eyes in time to see him lift Allie's favorite blanket from the floor. He tucked it softly against me and I pulled it into my arms. He stared at me, a mix of emotions in his eyes. It still smelled like her.

I didn't pay attention to the rest of the journey to my true home. I held the blanket, losing myself in its scent, wishing that Allie would be waiting for me at the house. The only thing that allowed me to know that we had arrived were the voice around me. Edward kept me secure in his arms.

"Bella," Alice whispered from my side. I opened my eyes, gazing at her. She had never looked so sad, "Bella, I'm so sorry."

"I know," I tried to offer her a smile, but I wasn't sure if I managed it. "Thank you, Alice."

"Where's Carlisle?" Edward asked in a soft voice.

"At the hospital," Esme responded softly. She walked up to me, brushing the hair from my face with gentle hands. "Bella... Oh, Bella."

Emmett sat at the foot of the porch stairs, his head in his hands. His fingers were twisted into his hair... I had never expected to see him so anguished. Jasper was no where to be seen. I could only begin to imagine the torrent of emotions that would descend upon him now. He must have fled before the full onslaught could begin.

"Edward," Rosalie spoke in a dark voice. She walked towards us, fury in her eyes, "He can't live."

"Rosalie, that's -"

"No, Edward," Rosalie continued, her voice harsh, "You don't understand. I'm not going to let him live after what he's done. He took away someone I love. He's hurt everyone else I love. He can't live."

"Rosalie, I know," Edward's voice was full of regret and a longing to fulfill her wish. "I know. I feel the same way. But, even still..." he looked down to me, "That's not our decision to make."

"He hurt us, too," Rosalie countered.

Edward sighed, tired of the argument.

"Alice?" Rosalie asked hopefully, turning to her.

"After what he just did, he won't be missed," Alice spoke simply. "No one would notice... or care."

"See?" Rosalie turned back to Edward. "He can't live. No one will care."

"Rosalie, it's still Bella's dec-"

I cut him off.

"Kill him."

---

**That made me cry... **

**And now, for all of you, I have a long note to add. I know that many of you are probably very upset with me right now. I sincerely hope that all of you, whether you agree with this chapter or not, will continue to read and review. **

**When I started this story, I promised myself that it would be realistic. So many stories end happily. Everyone's happy. I could have done that. It would have made most of you happy, if not all of you. But, like I said, I wanted it to be real. Sometimes, maybe too often, reality is not happy. Horrible, terrible things happen.**

**Allie was a sweet and darling girl. I really love her character, as I know a lot of you did as well. You don't know how... hard it was to write this chapter. I desperately wanted to change my choice. I wanted to keep her alive, because everyone seemed to love her so much! But that wasn't my story... that wasn't the real story I wanted to write. I couldn't change my story because of reviews... it was meant to be what it is.**

**I know it's awful. I know it's sad. I hope that you'll respect my decision to stick to the true story, to try to keep it realistic... no matter how sad that reality may have been. I want this story to be something you'll remember. **

**Also, I want to add that Allie was NOT killed for shock factor. I hate it when people kill characters for no good reason. Allie, from the moment I wrote her in, had her destiny set in stone. I knew what was going to happen to her. And, although her character grew on me, she chose not to change that destiny. Characters do (and those of you who have had this happen will know what I'm talking about!) decide to change your original plans.**

**Okay, wow. This is getting to be a long author's note. Are any of you still reading? I hope that all of that helped to explain the chapter. I really, really hope you'll all continue to read and review my story. **

**So, please... leave a cookie?**


	25. His Pain

**Wow! 1694 reviews! I'm so happy you continued to read and review. Although, I guess this is the chapter that shows who is still reading after that chapter, right? Here it is, the chapter that you've all been waiting for! Chapter 24! Enjoy!**

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Edward

"Kill him."

Such harsh words from my angel's lips.

I stared at Bella with wide eyes, my mind swept blank after her words. Had she honestly said what I had heard? Had she asked us to kill him? To be honest, she didn't have to ask me twice – but it didn't seem like something she would ask of us. Considering the circumstances, of course... the horrible things that Mike had done... taking sweet Allie from this world, away from Bella forever. He crushed my dear Bella's heart. He had single-handedly crushed my family.

Rosalie's mind was in a murderous state. She wanted nothing more than to see the life leave Mike's eyes. Her plans were sinister at best... she wanted to torture him slowly, in worse ways than she had ever done to any of the men who had hurt her in the life before this one. The things she did to them would be mere child's play compared to the tortures she had planned for Mike. I couldn't blame her. She had loved Allie...

My heart ached at the word and I physically flinched in pain. It couldn't be possible. That sweet child had been laughing in my arms mere hours ago... was it possible that life could be so cruel? That life could make a creature as cruel as the vile Mike Newton?

Emmett's mind was crushed, void of any thought other than shock. He stared at the ground with wide eyes, his hands twisted in his hair. I had never seen my brother look so miserable in all the years that I had known him.

_How is this possible?_ Emmett's mind ached in pain, _That little girl... how could he do that? How could he kill her? She was so innocent... she never hurt anyone. Why? Why did this have to happen?_

Alice's thoughts were parallel to Emmett's, although her mind held more self-loathing. She blamed herself for not catching Allie's death sooner... soon enough to prevent it. I was no fool and I could not put the blame on her. Alice would not have been able to see Mike's split decision any sooner than she did. She could have done nothing to prevent this. None of us could have.

"Are you sure, Bella?" My words were still drenched in pain. I could not shake the emotion from me. I could not blame Jasper for fleeing the area before the torrents of pain descended upon him. My pain alone would have been enough to crush him. It was killing me.

"He took her," Bella's voice had never had such dark tones to it. It chilled me to my core, "He took her away from me."

Her eyes flitted over to Alice then. There were tears running down her cheeks, from her wide beautiful eyes. "You said it wouldn't matter now, right? He wouldn't be missed. No one would care, right?"

"No one would care." Alice whispered, confirming the words. Bella's gaze turned back to me.

"Then kill him," she spoke the words again, too harsh for her lips. "I know you want to do it, Edward. I can see it in your eyes. I'm giving you permission. Go kill him."

Her lips were trembling, the tears slipping faster down her cheeks now. I rushed forward, pulling her closer into my embrace. She shivered against me, still chilled from the terror of the night. I sent kisses through her hair, my hands tracing soothing patterns over the length of her back. "Bella, if you think it's even a possibility that you'll regret that decision in the morning-"

"I won't regret it," she cut me off. She pulled back to stare into my eyes. Her deep brown orbs held nothing but honesty. "I won't regret it. He'll just hurt someone again, like he hurt me. If he ever gets out of there, he'll do it again. The system was messed up enough to put us in this situation, so who's to say he won't be free in a few years?"

"I agree," Rosalie spoke up. She didn't have to. I knew where her thoughts were leading and anything Bella said in agreements to those was perfect for Rosalie. "He hurt Bella. He killed A-allie... he could do it again."

"I hated him every day for four years," Bella's voice lowered to a whisper. Her gaze dropped to the ground. "I would have left... I would have been happy to see him die... if it weren't for Allie. She's gone. He took her from me," her words broke off in sobs. She was shaking as she tried to continue, "He shouldn't live. Not when she couldn't."

I grasped her hands in mine, pulling her hands gently to my lips. I brushed kisses along each knuckle before lowering her hands to press my lips softly to her own. She leaned into the kiss, her tears on my cheeks.

I pulled back, running a cool finger from below her ear and along her jawline, to her chin. I gazed at her lovingly, "As you wish."

I turned to the others then, my thoughts now murderous. "Who's coming?"

"I am," Rosalie spoke immediately.

"Of course," I grinned, "I knew you would already. I was talking to the others."

"I will," Emmett spoke, his defeated voice stronger now. He stood up, flexing the thick steel bands of muscle on his arms, "Although, I may have to stand back for most of it, if you're planning on making this last... I'll pop the insect's head off if I get a hold of him."

"I'll come," Alice spoke, her usually bright voice still grim, dancing to my side, "After all the scenarios you've all come up with in your head, I'll know the best ones to pick."

"I'll come," I looked up, my eyes wide with shock.

"Jasper?"

"Yea," he grinned sheepishly, "I'm sorry I wasn't here... earlier. It's hard." I nodded in understanding. I knew it was hard for him, even now. "But I would like to push Mike's terror to the limit."

"I'll stay with Bella," Esme spoke, moving to envelope Bella in a warm hug. I wondered, fleetingly, if Bella would want to come... but I would never let her. It was nothing that she needed to see, no matter how much she wanted Mike dead.

"When can we go?" Rosalie asked. Alice shut her eyes for a moment.

"Now, actually," her voice was surprised. "Now would be perfect. It's just one cop in there watching him, and it's not Charlie. We could call in a fake crime a little ways from here to give us time alone with him..."

"Or knock out the guard," Emmett laughed.

"No," Alice shook her head, "It would be much easier to get him out of there. Call in something drastic... a shooting down a dark alley or something."

"Let's go, then," I spoke, turning to Bella for a brief moment. I couldn't speak, my mind in a rage now. I was ready to bring Mike's life to an end, as I should have done so many times before. I smiled at her reassuringly and, for the briefest moment, a small smile touched my love's lips. And then it was gone. Stolen by the man who had stolen Allie from all of us.

We ran in silence, although everyone plotted their own murderous thoughts inside their heads, save for Alice who was currently observing the scenarios with her gift.

_We could break his fingers, one by one, _Rosalie began, innocent enough, _Let him feel a little pain to begin... nothing that would break the skin and provoke us. Wait... provoke us..._

Her mind took a twisted path that I had not expected. _We could bite him. _I almost tripped as I ran, my eyes turning to her, wide with shock. She was staring ahead._He could feel what it's like to go through that pain. I went through so much when... when those men... _She shook her head, clearing the thought. _And yet, that pain was nothing compared to the pain of changing. It's the ultimate pain we could give him._

_I like it._ Alice agreed to Rosalie's plan, silently in her mind. _That's caused him far more pain than anything we had planned before then. We could bite him and let him endure the agony before we finally killed him..._

"Are you serious?" I shouted, coming to a halt. We where at our destination now, but I could not take anymore of their thoughts. "Do you really intend to _change_ him?"

Rosalie stared at me, her face void of emotion, "Yes."

"That's insane." I shook my head, "What if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong," Alice replied simply, tapping the side of her head for emphasis.

"Edward," Rosalie spoke softly, "Can you remember a greater pain than that?"

"Yes, I can," I snapped, "When I left Bella. And then everything that has happened to her, to Allie, to us in the past few days!"

"Physically."

"I..." I sighed, my gaze turning to the police station, "No."

"If we're going to hurt him, we might as well do it thoroughly." Rosalie said, flipping her phone open. She dialed a number and pressed it to her ear, "Hello! Hello!" Her voice was panicked, "Please, please! You have to send help! Oh, god! He's been shot! We're at... oh, I can't read the sign! We passed... we passed..."

She rambled, her voice desperate as she yelled out locations spaced far from the station. She snapped her phone shut a moment later, shooting Emmett a grin. We all ran off to the side, hiding beside the building as the officer ran out to get in his cruiser. The lights and siren blared to life and he disappeared down the street.

"Let's go," Emmett's voice was anxious.

We walked up the steps, apparently all agreed in our plan to make Mike experience the pain of the change, at least to some extent. It was cruel, I had to admit. I could not have thought of a more torturous pain myself... at least when it came to Mike. He had no heart to hurt.

"Back so soon?" Mike's voice crumbled from his cage. "Guess the bitch wasn't in trouble after all."

"So, you treat all women like that, then?" Rosalie spoke. Mike jumped up from his bed, his eyes wide.

"What the hell are you doing here?" his voice was pure rage. He hadn't seen us yet and apparently Rosalie posed no threat. How wrong he was.

"I'm here to put you through hell, Mike," Rosalie's voice was calm as she walked over to the cell. Her hand slid along the length of the desk along the way, scooping up the keys to Mike's cell. She fiddled with the correct key, smiling at Mike. "It's going to be fun. You're going to love it."

She giggled. A dark, evil giggle. Mike was unimpressed. "Open the cage then, doll," he cooed, a smirk on his lips. My hand flew to Emmett's lips in an attempt to stifle his growl. Rosalie didn't want Mike to see us yet. "We'll see who will put who through hell."

Rosalie lifted the keys to the door, pushing them into the slot. Mike stood at the door, his hands wrapped around the metal bars as he waited for her to unlock his cell. Rosalie took her sweet time, toying with the key before finally turning it enough to open the lock. There was load, harsh click and then the door flew open violently.

Mike had, of course, intended to slam the metal bars in Rosalie full force, but she was too quick for him. She easily dodge the door as it flew at her. Mike sprung for her then. In one swift, agile movement, she slammed Mike in the chest and sent him flying back into his cell. He hit the wall, all of the breath flying out of his chest.

"How?" he gasped, sliding to the floor.

"It's actually very simple, Mike," she whispered, stepping slowly into the cell. "I'm a vampire. As are..." I motioned to the others and we stepped forward, into the cell. "Alice, Emmett, Jasper... and Edward."

"A vampire?" Mike scoffed. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"Is it?" Emmett spoke. Mike's eyes flew to him. "Is it really?" Emmett was at Mike's side now, having moved in the mere moment that Mike blinked. Mike's eyes widened and he scrambled to the side, screaming in terror.

_Now, Edward?_ Jasper asked. I nodded.

He sent a wave of terror through Mike and it was obvious when it hit. Mike's eyes looked as though they would pop out of his skull, his body convulsing in fits of horror. His breathing was erratic and I wondered how it was possible that he didn't pass out. "How?" he gasped again, "How did you...?"

"She told you," I spoke, my voice soft and deadly, "Or weren't you listening? Would it help," I moved swiftly to him, kneeling down to his eye level. Again, he screamed at the movement. "If we did something to help you remember?"

I reached forward taking his only good hand in mine, the other still shattered at the wrist and broken in the hand from our previous encounter. He tried to rip it away, but I held him tight in my steel grasp. "How about this," I murmured, my fingers tightening around just one of his. I held the rest of his hand by the wrist, "Every time we tell you something, we'll break a bone in your body. Every time we have to repeat something, we'll break two."

"So, how many does that make so far, Edward?" Emmett asked, staring down at Mike.

"Alice?" I spoke, my eyes never leaving Mike's.

"Three!" she chirped.

"Three it is," I grinned darkly at Mike, twisting his finger slowly until I heard a sickening crack.

"Oh, god!" Mike screamed, his head falling back in agony as he writhed on the ground. My fingers moved to the next digit on his hand, "No, no! Please, no! I believe you! I swear!"

Another crack. Another scream.

"Please stop!" he thrashed on the floor, still squealing in agony. I bent the third finger back, listening to it shatter. I released him then and he cradled his broken hand to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. "Please, stop. Please, please."

"Why?" I growled, "Did you stop when Bella asked you to?" His pitiful eyes turned to mine, filled with pain and fear, "Did you stop when Allie was screaming for her life?"

"I'm sorry!" he wailed, "I was wrong. I'm sorry!"

"Not nearly as sorry as you're going to be." Rosalie snapped, lowering herself to her knees as well. She grabbed his other arm and turned to me, "Any bone?"

"I don't see why not." I grinned.

"Mike, you should have never hurt Bella." Rosalie began, gripping his wrist and elbow. She used little of her strength, but of course it took very little to break Mike's forearm. If his screams had been painful and loud before, they were nothing compared to the torrent of pain that escaped him now.

Jasper screamed from behind me, falling back against the metal bars of the cell. His eyes were wide with the pain he was feeling. "Jasper!" Alice ran to him, trying desperately to calm him down as he shook with the waves of pain emanating from Mike. "Come on, let's go."

She threw me an apologetic look and carried Jasper out of the room. Although I felt upset at my brother's pain, I felt a sick joy for the fact that we had caused Mike so much pain already.

"You should have never hurt Allie." Rosalie continued, unfazed by Jasper. She cracked his other forearm in half and Mike howled, pleading desperately in slurred words for her to stop.

"I was wrong! I'm SORRY!" Mike shrieked and gasped, trying desperately to move away from the pain that was wreaking havoc in his body. "Please, please, please! PLEASE!"

"I didn't get my chance yet, Mike," Emmett spoke through Mike's screams. Rosalie moved away from Mike reluctantly, giving Emmett room. Emmett observed Mike's body, examining for the best place to leave his mark.

"Please, don't do this!" Mike begged, the fear in his eyes more present than before. "Please, please!"

"Awe, guys! You took all the hands. Now I have to break his feet," Emmett grabbed Mike's left foot in his hands. His eyes narrowed.

"You never should have hurt us." Emmett spoke, his voice dark. His smiled cruelly at Mike, contracting his hand over Mike's foot. There were several loud snaps as Mike's foot was crushed in Emmett's. He ripped and pulled, desperately trying to release himself from Emmett's steel grasp. It was no good.

"Please, I'll do anything!" Mike gasped. "Just tell me and I'll do it! Anything you want!"

"I want Allie back." I whispered.

He stared at me, his eyes wide and searching. There was no way that he could give me that.

"You're a demon, Mike," Rosalie whispered, edging closer to his side, "You're a heartless man. Now we're going to show you what it's like to lose your heart. We're going to make yours stop."

"Please! Don't kill me!" his begging was pitiful. "Please!"

"Oh, we're not going to kill you, yet," Rosalie whispered, "When we do, it will be because you begged for it."

Her lips descended upon Mike's arm, leaving her mark. She pulled away quickly, anxious to see the pain on his face. Mike stared at her with wide, confused eyes, wondering what she had just done. Then it hit him.

_Fire!_ His mind screamed. _Fire! They put fire in me! Get it out! Get it out!_

Of course, Mike could say none of these words as the pain consumed him whole. His body fell back, arching in the waves of his pain. He thrashed around on the floor, his face twisted in agony and his eyes wide in horror. The screams that ripped from him echoed off the cell walls and he clawed miserably at the floor, searching for something, anything to make it stop.

_What is this?_ His mind screeched._What did they do? Break my arm! Oh, break my leg! Anything but this! Anything! ANYTHING!_

His hands flew to his head, tugging and pulling at his hair as he thrashed around on the floor. The pain in the movements of his broken hand caused his screams to grow and multiply. I had never seen such pain and I wondered if it was worse than any of ours. It looked worse than ours. I hoped desperately that it was.

"KILL ME!" Mike shrieked, finally finding a space between his screams to speak. Emmett moved forward, but my hand shot out to hold him back. He would have to wait longer than that, beg more than that.

Mike whimpered in agony, tears rolling down his cheeks as he twisted around. He continued to take gasps between his wails, trying desperately to find the energy to scream for his death once again. His hands scraped back along the floor, searching for nothing. Finally, after a few hefty gulps, he screamed out the words, "KILL ME!"

"Third times the charm, Mike," I whispered, my voice velvet and deadly.

He stared at me with agonized eyes, his mouths moving to speak the words that refused to come out over his screams. Tears streamed from his eyes, blurring his vision of us. Of the last thing he would see. He gasped and whimpered, rolling around as he tried to speak the words that would end all of this pain. I was more desperate for this than he was.

"KILL ME!" He screamed on last time. The words disappeared into sobbing gasps.

More screams.

"Gladly," I spoke, my voice dark. I launched forward, ramming my fist, with all the strength I could summon, into his chest. I felt all of his ribs crack beneath my hand and his heart sputter to a quick stop. Mike's struggles ceased instantly, his arms dropping lifelessly to the ground. His screams disappeared.

"You deserved worse," I muttered over Mike's dead body, standing along with Emmett and Rosalie.

"You did the right thing, Edward." Emmett spoke, patting me on the back.

"For her," I turned, walking out of the cell, "Everything was for her."

---

**Ow... Ow, ow, ow... Mike is FINALLY dead. So, what did you think? How was it? Is it what you would have done? Was it torturous enough? Let me know what you thought of it! Leave a cookie, please! **


	26. Sleep Well, Baby

**Wow! 1856 reviews! This story might manage 2000 reviews - I'd be so happy:)**

**This is another very sad chapter. It will, very hopefully, begin to get better for Bella after this chapter. Here it is! Chapter 25!**

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Bella

I had fallen asleep in Esme's cool embrace, trying to block out the images and thoughts of what had transpired on that horrible night. I did not wake until the afternoon embraced the small community of Forks. My eyes fluttered open, wincing in the harshness of day. The cool arms I had slept in were still around me, but they were different somehow. Stronger, protective... comforting. I rolled over in his arms, meeting his eyes.

"Bella," he murmured softly, leaning forward to brush his cool lips to my forehead.

There wasn't much to say besides that. The reality of yesterday sank deep into my skin, clawing its way into my heart in an attempt to kill me from the inside out. I moved further into his embrace, wishing for nothing other than an escape from this world. Mike had hurt me more than anyone ever could. The loss of Allie chilled my blood and stopped my heart. I was no more alive mentally than Edward was physically.

And yet, I lived.

I watched the hour pass by from the security of Edward's arms, having no desire to leave this level of comfort. I was safe here and almost able to escape the thoughts that continued to swim through my mind. They threatened to destroy me, but Edward's strong embrace reminded me that they couldn't. Mike had taken away one of the most precious pieces of my life... but he could not take away everything from me.

I had thought, fleetingly, of joining Allie. In my absolute moment of pain, I had wanted to escape all of it. I wanted to bring an end to it all. Then I saw him, cradling her in his arms, lost in the same torment. Allie was my life after love. But my love had come back. I had to sacrifice the life I had made, but love had come back to me. I couldn't leave him, nor did I want to.

Part of me, although infinitesimally small, was thankful for the fact that Allie would no longer suffer at the hands of Mike. I had been hopeful, of course, that Edward would have hired a lawyer that would bring Allie back to me. What if that hadn't happened? What if Mike had won and taken Allie away from me forever, in a different sense than he had last night? She would have had to live in the same agony as I did. I couldn't endure that.

My heart had been broken into so many pieces in the past four years that I wondered if I had any heart left in my chest as all. I felt the soft beat, the pulse running through my veins, reassuring me of its presence. Still, I wasn't so sure.

An agonized, tortured part of me was glad that this was over. I felt sick with the thought. Was I that horrible a person that I could find joy in my escape, no matter how horrible that escape was? I should be in tears, crying and begging and joining my daughter. I didn't think I had any tears left in my body anymore. I had begged and it had brought me nothing, nowhere. I had no desire to leave.

I was in love. Painfully in love.

The soft vibration in Edward's pocket broke me away from my thoughts. He moved one of his arms away from my waist, pulling the distraction from his pocket. He flipped open the silver phone, bringing it to his ear, "Carlisle?"

I heard the soft buzz of Carlisle's voice on the other end, but I could not make out the words.

"This morning?" Edward asked, his brow furrowed, "Do they suspect-"

Carlisle had cut him off, the soft buzz continuing. Edward's worried expression vanished from his face. "Good," he murmured, "I was hoping it would be that way."

More buzzing.

"How soon?" Edward's eyes flitted to me for a brief moment, "I don't know, Carlisle. Yes, I know we have to... but we need to give her time right now."

A brief buzz, "Charlie?" Edward frowned, "Yes, I'll tell her. Yes, as soon as we can. When she's ready."

The line disconnected and Edward snapped the phone shut, pulling me back into his full embrace. "Charlie needs to speak to you, Bella."

I turned my face to him, my eyes wide with fear. What did Charlie want? Had something else gone wrong in this hell?

At my expression, Edward pressed a kiss into my hair, "It's nothing bad," he assured me, "He spoke to Carlisle and he knows that Mike has been lying. He knows that you're with me, so he asked Carlisle to tell you to see him as soon as you can. He needs to discuss... everything that happened."

I lowered my eyes, still unable to find my voice.

"Carlisle needs you to..." Edward paused, gazing my reaction. Finally, he decided against his words, "I don't want you to worry about anything, Bella. You can do what you need to do. Whatever you want to do. We will take care of everything for you."

"Did Charlie find Mike?" my voice was faint and cracked from lack of use. He lowered his face to my head.

"He found him this morning," Edward murmured into my hair, "What we did wasn't clean... so, it's obvious that it wasn't self inflicted. They are looking for foul play, but they'll find no suspects."

"Are you sure?"

"Alice has already seen it," Edward continued, his voice soft, "They're no more eager to find out who killed Mike than... well, us, although we know who..."

His voice trailed off for a moment and he sighed, "After what he did, nobody wanted to see him breathing."

"Do I have to see Charlie?" I whispered, burying my face in the fabric of his shirt.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do Bella," Edward ran his cool fingers through my hair, "He does want to talk to you, though."

"About Allie?" my voice cracked.

"And Jessica."

"Jessica?" I lifted my head from his chest to gaze at him with confused eyes.

"He needs to know what you said to her," he traced his fingers along my jaw, holding my chin gently as he gazed into my eyes, "He needs your testimony to arrest her."

"He can do that?"

"Of course," Edward chuckled a dark laugh, "If it weren't for her, a lot of this would not have happened. You wouldn't have been forced from your home last night and Mike wouldn't have-"

His voice broke off, his eyes filled with pain.

"Oh, Edward," I whispered, my hands moving up to cradle his face. I pulled him close to me, comforting him for once. "She's safe now."

"I couldn't protect her," his voice was tortured.

"You tried," I whispered.

It wasn't his fault... it wasn't any of the Cullens fault. They had done everything they could to help. They tried to do everything legally, to keep it clean and easy for Allie and myself. It was the legal system that had ruined everything and taken Allie from me. They had pulled me out of the house. They had left Allie alone with her madman of a father.

"Bella?" Alice whispered from the doorway, tapping the door lightly with her knuckles. Edward turned to her, growling low.

"Yes, Alice?"

"I-" she started, her eyes panicked as Edward's growls increased in volume.

"What's going on?" I stared at Edward, my brow furrowed.

"Not right now, Alice," he spoke, his voice dark. He avoided my questioning eyes.

"No, Edward," I tried to keep my voice firm. I turned back to Alice, "What is it?"

"We need to know when you want-"

"She doesn't need to think about that right now!" Edward raged.

"-the funeral," Alice finished, much to Edward's displeasure. His body trembled with his growls. He had tried to protect me from the thoughts that were already plaguing my mind.

"Whenever is best, Alice," I whispered, lowering my gaze.

"I'm sorry," Edward whispered. Alice had left the room as silently as she had come.

"Don't be," my voice was still soft, broken. "And don't be mad at Alice. It's something that we have to do."

"You don't have to do anything," Edward took my hands in his. His eyes were black fire, "We'll take care of everything, Bella."

"Edward, look at you," I murmured, "Your eyes are pitch black. You haven't fed enough."

"I've never been more in control of that need, Bella," he pressed my hands to his lips, brushing kisses along them before lowering them back to my lap. "Don't worry about me. I want you to worry about yourself, Bella."

"When is she planning on having it?" I turned my gaze to the window, avoiding his eyes. I didn't want him to see the pain in mine.

"Tomorrow."

"So soon," I breathed.

"Too soon?"

"No..." my voice trailed off softly. I turned my eyes back to him. "I wasn't expecting it to be so soon, that's all. Are you going to..."

"Going to what?" he prompted when my words trailed off.

"Going to go help?" I couldn't bear to see him go.

"I'm not going to leave your side, Bella," he pulled me close, "Ever."

"Then," I started, closing my eyes, "You'll take me to Charlie?"

He held my chin in his hand and I could feel his eyes on me. Slowly, I opened my eyes to stare into his waiting gaze, "Bella, are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

---

The trip was fast in Edward's car. He had carried me to his silver Volvo and drove as his customary speeds to Charlie's house. I didn't complain. I wanted to get there as quickly as I could. I wanted to get through everything quickly in the vain hope that the pain would vanish when everything else had.

"Bella," Charlie breathed, enveloping me into a large hug the moment Edward had helped me out of the Volvo, "Oh, Bells, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I ever trusted him. I never should have believed a word that came out of his mouth."

"You couldn't have known, dad," I tried to ease his pain, "Mike knew what to say to make you believe him. You couldn't have known."

"I should have talked to you," he urged, "I never should have let this happen. Bells, I swear, I didn't know they were having you removed from the house until Jessica called me and told me to watch the house. I was going to call in the morning."

It was so odd to see Charlie crying. "Dad," I whispered, hugging him close, "There's nothing any of us can do about it now. Please, don't blame yourself. Mike deserves the blame"

"He deserved what he got," Charlie's voice had a dark edge that I had never heard before.

His eyes turned to Edward then. He released me and took two heavy steps forward, pulling Edward into an embrace. Edward stared at me, eyes wide with shock. "Thank you," Charlie's voice was muffled by Edward's shirt, "Thank you for taking care of my baby girl."

"Always, Charlie," Edward patted him awkwardly on the back, although his eyes held so much emotion, "Always."

Charlie released him, leaving us in a moment of awkward silence. "So," Charlie muttered, his voice embarrassed, "Bella, all I need to know is that you told Jessica that Mike was abusive to you and that he could possibly harm Allie. Did you say that to her? At anytime?"

"Yes," I whispered. Edward pulled me close, "More than once."

"That'll be enough then," Charlie spoke, his voice gruff. He seemed to be fumbling for the right words, "When is... when is..."

"Tomorrow." Edward whispered. I turned into his chest, hiding my face.

"I'll be there, Bells," Charlie whispered, patting me on the shoulder. "Take care of her."

"I will, sir," Edward scooped me into his arms a moment later, carrying me back to the Volvo. The meeting with Charlie had been brief and yet draining. I had no idea how I would be able to handle tomorrow's events.

But, with Edward at my side, I knew I could.

---

The morning came faster than I had hoped. I had spent the rest of the day trying to lose myself in Edward's arms. I had eventually fallen asleep and slept through the entire night. Edward woke me only when he knew that there was no other option.

I dressed in silence, in a simple black dress that Alice had bought for me. The Cullens waited downstairs, their cars parked out front. Edward had waited outside of my room, taking my hand when I opened the door. He led me downstairs, guiding me to his silver Volvo in silence. I sat, staring out at the drizzling day. The water ran down the window pane in small rivers.

The funeral home was distanced from the house, but it was absolutely beautiful. I could not have asked Alice to find a better place. We were greeted at the door and led into the room where the viewing would take place. Alice had arranged to have both the viewing and the funeral in the same day. I walked into the room and my breath stopped.

"Spend all your time waiting, for that second chance..." the music played softly, wafting around the room.

"Rosalie chose it," Edward whispered into my ear.

"I need some distraction, oh beautiful release. Memory seeps from my veins." Tears fell from my eyes. Rosalie could not have picked a more beautiful song for Allie, "Let me be empty and weightless and maybe... I'll find some peace tonight."

I started to walk forward on shaking legs. I could not see Allie over the wide coffin. Still, I walked. Walked until I could see her beautiful face lying in the bed of silk. Her little eyes closed. "She's looks like she's sleeping," I whimpered.

My legs gave out and I slid to the floor, supported in Edward's arms. He allowed me to sit on the floor, rocking me gently as I sobbed. How could Mike take such a precious thing from this world? How could he have taken Allie from me? From us?

"You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie," the music surged on, warm and soft. Perfect for my darling daughter, "You're in the arms of the angel. May you find some comfort there."

I watched as the rest of the Cullens stepped up to the coffin. I watched the pain twist their faces, watched as Rosalie collapsed into Emmett's arms sobbing with tears that would never come. He held her, trying to keep her from falling. He whispered, his words too soft for me to hear. Jasper's face was pained with the magnified agony of everyone in the room. Still, he stayed. Still, he supported Alice when she fell into her own sorrow.

"Edward," I whispered, gripping his hand in mine. I wanted to see her, as hard as it would be. I wanted to say goodbye. Knowing me inside and out, he nodded. With one arm around my waist, he lifted me, supporting me as he carried me over to where Allie rested.

"It don't make no difference, escaping one last time," the words were soft, elegant, "It's easier to believe in this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees."

I stared down at my angel, reaching out to touch her hand. She was as cold as Edward and yet I knew that she would never move from me again. My body shook with the tremors of tears that were building up my body. I stared with wide eyes, trying to fight them back. My lips trembled and finally, I released. The sobs broke from my lips in a cry of despair. Edward pulled me into his full embrace, keeping me from falling to the ground.

I could feel him shaking against me, silently crying with his own sobs that he tried to hide. He was trying to stay strong for me. My eyes moved up to him and although he tried to hide it, the agony was there. Our eyes met and his sobs grew. He pulled me closer, my face buried in the fabric of his shirt and his hidden in my hair.

We stood like that, sobbing in each other's embrace, for a time that I couldn't count. I heard Charlie enter the room and whisper his sympathies to me. I heard him cry. I briefly remember that. Everything else was Edward. My world tried to fall apart, but he held it together. He held me together and I held him.

Finally, we had to leave for the burial. I held onto Edward's hand, grasping it for support as I stared at Allie one last time.

"Allie," I whispered, "Allie-baby, I love you. I'll miss you so much."

I stepped forward, placing a trembling kiss to her forehead.

"Sleep well, baby."

---

**As sad as that was, I couldn't think of a better place to end the chapter. The next chapter will pick up after the burial has already happened. Bella has been through so much pain for so many years. She has had her "life experiences" and she is ready for a new life, with Edward. Will he change her? Leave a cookie and find out!**


	27. Finally Ready

**2000 REVIEWS! I'm so happy! These chapters are going to get happier now... I hope you'll enjoy them.**

**Here is the latest chapter. I wanted to go ahead and speed it up a bit more, but my characters wouldn't let me! Oh well... I like how it turned out. Here it is! Chapter 26! Enjoy!**

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Edward

"Change me, Edward," Bella whispered, her lips on mine. I placed my hands on her shoulders, bracing her as I leaned back. I feared every motion – terrified that it would upset her anymore. I had been reluctant to refuse her any of her wishes since... since...

But this.

"What?" I could hear the shock in my voice.

It had been three weeks since the passing of Allie. Three weeks since we had said our farewells at the funeral. Three weeks since that fateful day when Mike chose to take an angel from this world. Three weeks since I had seen Jasper, or Rosalie for that matter. The death of Allie had crushed everyone that I cared about.

Jasper, consumed by the pain emanating from every person in the house, eventually had to leave. He had been living out of one of our older houses since the day after the funeral. I couldn't blame him, of course. Through his thoughts alone, I could feel the immense torture that our pain caused him. It was horrible for everyone, but it was magnified for him. He had apologized to Bella and kissed Alice goodbye, promising to be back as soon as he had the strength.

Alice, surprisingly, had stayed behind. I knew, of course, that she wanted to stay with Jasper. Even without reading her mind, I knew that. She couldn't bear to leave Bella in the state that she was in. She had told us that she wanted to stay for all of us, but I knew... We were all a wreck after what had happened, but none of us were as crushed inside as Bella.

Emmett had never looked so sad, in all the years that I had seen him. He had gained a strong affection for Allie in the very short time that he knew he, adoring the reactions that she caused in Rosalie. He hardly left his room. I would check on him, often when Bella was asleep. I would find him sitting in front of the television, mindlessly killing in whichever video game he had decided to throw in that day. He missed Allie. Even more so, he missed Rosalie.

I knew Rosalie was upset. I did not, however, expect her to leave us. After the funeral, she sat in her room in front of the mirror. Emmett tried multiple times to speak to her, but each time she asked him to leave. No one else was allowed anywhere near her door. Emmett said she sat there, combing her hair in silence.

Finally, she spoke. She came out of her room in a fury, shattering the mirror across the floor. "It isn't fair!" She raged. "She was all I ever wanted!"

She slammed her elbow into the mirror in the hall, glass littering the floors. "Beautiful, that's all I am!" She sobbed without tears, "I have no child, no real life! I can never have that, ever! Just one chance and he took it away from us!"

"Rosalie," Emmett had tried to console her, but she had shaken him off.

"No," she had muttered, her voice empty, "I can't look at you. I can't look at any of you. I need to go. I can't be here..."

She had drove off with Emmett screaming behind her, racing after her car. It was hours later when Emmett finally returned to us.

Esme was, of course, crushed. She had looked on Allie as her own. She had fallen in love with Allie from the moment she saw her. Once again, life and its cruelty had taken a child from her. She lost another daughter when Rosalie left. I hardly saw Carlisle for he was always in the room trying to comfort Esme. Just as I was always in my room trying to comfort Bella.

She had been lifeless at first. Bella had sat in my bed and stared at the wall without saying a word for days upon days. She ate only when I pleaded with her and even then it was just barely. Just enough to keep her alive. Her face was thinner, drawn with depression. Black circles began to form under her eyes, just like my own. I refused to leave her side unless absolutely necessary and as a result, I barely fed. Only at night, once in a great while, when I knew she was asleep.

After a week, she had begun to talk to me again. I held her, listening to whatever sweet word would leave her lips. Even when she didn't speak, I spoke to her. I could do no more than hold and speak, hoping beyond hope that it would help her heal. I never begged her to speak. Her mind, no doubt, had to repair itself from the scars Mike had left.

"I miss her," Bella had moaned on the second week, turning to bury her face against my chest. I drew her closer to me.

"I know, Bella," I whispered into her hair, "I know."

"Am I ever going to be the same?" she whimpered.

"No, Bella," I answered honestly. She sobbed with my response. "She'll always be a part of you. The pain will fade with time, but you will never be the same person again. Allie will be in your heart, always. You'll be different because of her."

"It hurts..." she whispered against me.

"I know," I persisted, "This is the worst pain you could know, but I'm here for you."

"This," her words were soft, broken, "Isn't the worst pain I've ever known."

My brow furrowed, "What is?"

She went silent and suddenly I knew the answer. My heart crushed itself with the painful realization that flooded me, "Bella," I murmured, pulling her as close as I could without injuring her.

"It feels so odd," she continued, "To feel so dead and yet still be living."

She had begun to repair herself after that. Each day she spoke a little more, always remembering Allie. Always speaking of Allie. I could see the pain, locked deep in her eyes, but I could see the life that was entering them just the same. Her mind was rebuilding itself, healing into a state where she could finally move and eat and speak almost as she used to.

It had been three weeks of healing, but I could finally feel the wounds developing into healed scars. Life was slowly returning in the house and Bella was finally becoming herself.

And now she wanted to change herself.

"I've thought about this, Edward," she persisted, "I want you to change me. Edward, there is nothing for me in this world except for you. Please, please let me be a part of your family. Please let me stay with you."

"Bella," I breathed, "You can be a part of my family. You _are_ a part of my family. You can always stay with me... but, Bella... I can't do that to you."

The tears were brimming in her eyes and I felt my reserve breaking away, "Why, Edward?"

"I can't damn your soul, Bella."

"Still," she whispered, her gaze falling to the bed I had purchased for her three weeks ago. Soft gold sheets. "You still feel that way?"

"Of course, Bella." Why wouldn't I? I couldn't damn her soul. She had been through so much already, why would I deny her heaven with her daughter?

"Do you not..." she paused, preparing the words, "Do you not want to spend eternity with me?"

"Is that what you think?" my eyes widened. I cupped her chin, gently lifting her chin and gazing at her until she looked into my eyes. "Bella, I want you. Forever. There's nothing I could want more. It would be the most selfish thing I'd ever do, but it is my most selfish desire. I want you forever, but I can't do that to you."

"Why would you give up eternity with me?" She took my hands in hers, "Why would you give up your dream and mine on something so... unlikely?"

"What do you mean?" my brow furrowed. How was it unlikely that I was damning her soul? Even still, I wasn't willing to risk it...

"First, there's a half and half chance that you'll damn me," she began. I opened my mouth to speak, but she stopped me with a soft finger to my lips, "Edward, there are so many religions. What if I picked wrong? Then I'm damned anyway... I could already be damned. You'd just be sending me there that much sooner by not changing me."

"But if I'm right..." I started.

"If you're right, you're still sending me to hell," she whispered. My mouth remained open, but nothing came out. She gazed at me through her thick lashes, "You are my heaven, Edward. There is no heaven without you in it. If you think you're damned, then you won't go there... and if I do, it will still be hell."

"She has a point, Edward," Emmett spoke from the door. I turned to look at him, shocked that I hadn't heard his mind. I was so absorbed in Bella's words that his thoughts had escaped me.

"We've lost so much, Edward," Bella persisted, obviously noticing that my reserve was already teetering on an edge. "Don't lose me. Don't let me lose you."

"Bella, I..." my voice cracked, something it hardly ever did. I stared down at the bed, trying to avoid her eyes for once. Those beautiful, deep chocolate eyes would certainly send me over the edge. I would be lucky if I didn't give in right here and bite her now.

"Edward," Emmett continued. I didn't lift my gaze, "You felt what it was like to be without her. Could you really do that for an eternity after her?"

"I wouldn't."

"You would go to the Volturi?" Emmett's voice was surprised. "You'd kill yourself?"

"Edward," Bella's voice was filled with tears. "Edward, how could you do that to Esme? Why would that thought cross your mind. After Allie... would you really...?"

"I can't be without you, Bella," my words were pained. I knew she was right. Esme would be sent over the edge after losing Allie and Rosalie... I knew I would break her.

"Then you have no choice," Emmett spoke. I heard a soft snap and looked up. Emmett had shut his phone, slipping it into his pocket. "Rose is coming home. She said this is Bella's choice now."

"I've had my life experiences, Edward," Bella touched my chin. I turned to look at her, "Mike destroyed them. Please, let me start my life with you."

"If you won't live without her," Emmett murmured, "Then you have no choice."

He stepped out of the room, no doubt returning back to his own. His words were soft, sad... but his mind was jubilant for the first time in weeks. Rosalie was returning home to him and he was certain that he was gaining Bella as a sister.

"Please," Bella pleaded.

I sighed, my resolve shattering into dust. They were right. This was Bella's choice. She had her life experiences... as much as I wanted to save her soul, my selfishness begged me to take her for my own.

"Your choice," I whispered, gazing up to her through my lashes. I saw dawn break out upon her face as the brightest smile I had seen since mere days before I had left on that fateful day four years ago lit her lips.

"I want you to change me, Edward." How could I deny her? That happiness... happiness that I didn't think I would see again on her face... how could I say no?

"On one condition," I held up a finger. She frowned, her shoulders slumping.

"What?"

"You have to say goodbye to Charlie and Renee first. Renee can be through the phone, because I know she's far," I paused, "Unless you want to see her in person. You have to say goodbye to Charlie in person."

"I was already planning on doing that," Bella whispered, dropping her gaze, "I want to say goodbye... I want to talk to some people before I go..."

"When you're ready," I whispered as my lips found hers.

Life was returning. At last.

---

**Please tell me that this chapter cheered up some of you? I know that many of you are still upset over Allie...**

**Please, as always, leave a cookie on the table!**


	28. Beginning Again

**Bella has finally convinced Edward to change her. She has to say her goodbyes and prepare herself. Is she truly ready? Here it is! Chapter 27! Enjoy!**

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Bella

My mind and heart had shattered into a million pieces as we drove home from the funeral where we had said our final goodbyes to Allie. It had been days since I spoke after that, unable to find my voice and without the strength to bother. Edward had stayed at my side every moment, holding me securely in his arms. I watched, in silence, as his eyes darkened to a deep black. He refused to leave me, but I was thankful for the morning I woke up to see his eyes a golden topaz.

The house had been destroyed around me, all of its inhabitants crushed in much of the same way I was. I had watched Rosalie's fury and felt pain as she ran out the door with Emmett running after her, begging desperately for her to stay. Jasper had left, but Alice stayed. I knew she stayed for me, but I had no will to ask her to go. Nothing wanted to come out.

Nobody spoke. The house was silent for a painful week.

And then, I found my voice.

I began speaking again, mostly to Edward. He would listen, his eyes always alight with joy that I was finally talking. Every moment was no longer filled with pain, but merely tainted with it. I missed Allie desperately, but the house falling apart around me begged me to stay strong. Everyone was destroying themselves from the inside out. I couldn't let them die inside.

I couldn't let this destroy everything I loved. I couldn't let this hurt Edward.

And so, it was with thoughts of them, that I began to heal. It was slow at first, of course. I fought against every memory of Allie in an attempt to move on. It wasn't until two weeks into my new life that I realized I had to embrace her memory to move on. Allie always wanted to see me happy. I couldn't let her down now. Not when I could finally find a way to be happy.

Allie was my angel. She was sent down to me during the darkest hours of my life. She was there to brighten those four years of sadness. When my life, Edward, had come back to me, Allie had departed from this world. My angel had returned to her heaven.

It would be wrong to make her visit on Earth a waste. It would be a shame to be healed by her love only to be crushed by her return to heaven. She saved me from fates worse than death, saved me from ruining myself. I had to move on in her memory. I had to smile for her, breathe for her, eat for her, love for her... because she would want me to.

Finally, after three weeks, I had decided that I wanted to be changed. I wanted to separate myself from the life that I had known before. I didn't want to remember Mike and all the pain he had caused. I wanted to leave for my new life and bring with me the only memories I wanted. Allie and Edward. I wanted to keep them in my heart and change. I wanted to start my life with Edward.

And he had agreed. Finally, he had agreed.

I pulled the comb through my wet hair, trying to straighten the mess that had tangled itself in my sleep. I was going to visit the people I had to say goodbye to. I would say my goodbyes to Charlie and Renee... and then I would go to Edward.

I would go to my new life.

"Are you sure you want to go so early in the day?" Edward asked, watching me from his place on the bed. I untwisted the last tangle in my hair and set the comb down before finally turning to face him.

"I want you to change me tonight, before you change your mind," I admitted.

He sighed, dropping his head, "Bella, I'm not going to change my mind. You can take as long as you want to say goodbye-"

"No," I cut him off. I couldn't shield the pain in my eyes, "I've said enough goodbyes to last me a lifetime, Edward. I don't want to prolong this. I'm ready to leave that life behind me. I don't want to say goodbye anymore."

I was in his icy embrace before I could finish my words. He held me close, one of his hands coming to rest upon my head. I shook in his hold, but not from the coolness of his body. The pain still managed to envelope me, even now.

"It'll get better," he whispered, knowing my thoughts without reading them. "It's not just going to happen. It's going to take some time, but it will get better."

I knew he was right, but that didn't make the pain any easier to deal with. I only hoped, with all the time I was about to receive, that I would be able to heal.

"I know," I whispered, more for him then myself. I knew he was worried.

"Well, we better hurry or you'll be late," he murmured into my hair, pulling me closer. I nodded slowly, reluctantly leaving his embrace.

"Let's get this over with!" I tried to sound happy. I tried to look happy. By the pain in his eyes, I knew I did neither.

We descended the stairs to find Rosalie waiting at the bottom. Her eyes were soft, her expression different, "Bella."

"It's great to see you again, Rosalie," I smiled. It really was. I had seen an entirely different side to her when she had been with Allie.

My eyes widened in surprise when she pulled me into her own cold embrace. I stood there, my mouth agape and my arms held tight at my sides by her arms. I nudged my hand over, patting the middle of her back. "I'm sorry I couldn't be strong enough," she spoke as she pulled away. There was embarrassment in her eyes, "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I just couldn't..."

"Rosalie, it's all right," I assured her. "I understand."

And I did. I had suffered with the loss of Allie. I know that she had as well. Everyone deals with grief in their own way. Some are silent, some cry, some scream, some leave...

"I'm glad," she started, her voice soft, "To have you as a sister, Bella."

In all the pain that still lurked in my body, my heart swelled with her words. After all that had happened, I finally felt as though I knew Rosalie. I finally felt accepted and loved by her. My eyes welled with tears and I nodded in response, my words caught on the lump in my throat.

She smiled a knowing smile at me as Edward swept me outside to his car.

He had his silver Volvo sitting out front, the engine already warm and streaming heat into the interior. I was thankful for the toasty atmosphere after being in the chilly air for only a few brief moments. I shivered in the car, warming up to the heat, as he pulled out of the driveway and sped in the direction of the police station.

I knew that Charlie would be at work right now, but I truly did not want to return to the house where I had once lived. I couldn't bear to see that kitchen, that living room, my room. Where everything had been happy once, untouched by Mike and all the pain he had brought into my life. It was much easier to go to the police station to speak to Charlie. To the place where that pain had finally come to an end.

His case was closed, after only two weeks of unsuccessful searches. I knew that there was no heart in finding out who had killed Mike. After he had killed Allie, the word of his horrible nature spread like wildfire. No one wanted to help put him to rest. No one but his parents came to say their final goodbyes. No one wanted to. No one cared.

"Bella?" Edward's soft voice broke me out of my reverie. I looked up to see that we had arrived already. How was it that his speed could still surprise me, even now?

The door opened and I turned to see Edward, holding out his hand for me. I took it gratefully, stepping out into the chilly atmosphere. I walked into the station and glanced around, trying to spot Charlie. He must have been in the back and no one was currently attending the desk. I reached forward to touch the bell to ring for service.

"Bella?"

My head snapped up. I knew that voice. One of the voices that had crushed my world only three weeks ago. I turned slowly, my eyes moving to stare at Jessica.

She was thinner than the last time I had seen her. She was standing, her hands gripping the cold metal bars as she stared out at me. Her face looked tortured, dark circles under her eyes and her face lined with pain.

"Jessica?" I whispered. I stepped forward, still moving slow, "You're in here?"

"You should know," her voice was harsh. "You told Charlie that I knew Mike beat you. He revoked my license and I've been sentenced to three years in prison. I've lost my job. I've lost my life... because of you."

"And I lost my little girl because of you," I whispered, my voice cold. A thick layer of sarcasm covered my next words, "Does that make us even?"

"I didn't know Mike hit you," Jessica muttered. Her eyes told otherwise.

"You should have known," Edward spoke up from behind me, "He told you, after all. When you were sleeping with him, right?"

"How did you..." her eyes were wide.

"You've always been easy to read," Edward's voice was dark. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Jessica, thankfully, didn't.

"I don't want to be in here," Jessica's eyes lowered to the ground.

"And Bella didn't want to lose Allie," Edward retorted.

I stared at the girl I had once, long ago, called my friend and felt no pity. It was because of her selfishness that Allie was taken from this world. She did not deserve her job, nor did she deserve to be in society, ruining other lives.

"I'm sorry," Jessica whispered.

"In three years," I spoke, my words softer now, "When you're free... maybe I'll believe you."

I turned away from her then, letting go of that part of my life. I tapped the bell and a moment later, Charlie came walking into the room.

"Bells!" he walked over to me, pulling me into his arms. He pulled back to look at me, his face lined with concern, "How are you doing?"

"Better," I assured him.

"What can I do for you?" his eyes turned to Edward for a moment before returning to me.

"I'm here to say goodbye," my voice didn't crack. This felt right. This was right.

"My family is moving away," Edward explained. "We've asked Bella to join us and she's agreed."

"I just didn't want to go without saying goodbye," I smiled at him sadly. Charlie's eyes misted over and he wiped at them in embarrassment.

"Well, you're a big girl," his voice was gruff, "You'll do good, Bells."

He released me and patted me on the back. "Thanks, dad."

There were no more words to share. I could say nothing to make what had happened any easier on him, just as he could say nothing to make this any easier on me. I didn't blame him for Allie. I couldn't blame him for Allie. He had never meant for her to be hurt. He had done everything he could, thinking that he was protecting her.

"I love you, Bells," his voice held the tears he was holding back.

"I love you, too, dad," I whispered for the last time before turning and walking out the door. Edward followed behind me, silent.

"Can I have your phone?" I asked when we were both back in the safety of his car.

"Bella, now?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

"I want to call her and get this over with," I whispered, "Besides, it's not like I can't call her anymore after this. I want this to be quick. I want you to change me, Edward."

He sighed, but reluctantly handed over his phone.

I pushed in the number, "Mom?"

"Bella!" my mom's voice was ecstatic at first, but then became lined with worry, "How are you?"

"I'm all right, mom," I didn't want to talk about the pain in my heart. "Mom, I just need to tell you something."

"What's that, honey?"

"I love you." I whispered. I couldn't say goodbye to my mom. I knew I could call her again. I could continue to talk to her as I always had.

"Oh, Bella, honey," I could hear the relieved smile in her voice, "I love you, too."

"I'll talk to you later, mom,"

"Is that all you called for?" her voice was surprised.

I smiled, "Yes."

"Oh," still surprised, "Okay, honey. I love you. Feel better."

"I love you, too. I'll try." I disconnected the line, snapping the phone shut. I put it into Edward's waiting hand.

"You didn't want to tell her you're leaving?" he asked, sliding the phone back into his pocket.

"No reason," my gaze drifted to him. He was watching me, as always, "I could call her again in three days if I wanted to. I just wanted to talk to her once before..."

He reached over, squeezing my hand gently, "We don't have to."

"I want this," I assured him. We were arriving at his house now.

"When?" his voice was strained. He was slowing down, prolonging the wait.

"Now," my brow furrowed, "As soon as you get us to the house. Are you driving slow on purpose?"

"Yes," he sighed, his speed increasing now. We stopped in front of his house and he was opening my door for me the moment after.

I buried myself in his embrace as he scooped me into his arms, carrying me upstairs to his bedroom. He set me down on the bed and proceeded to rearrange the blanket and pillows, "Are you comfortable?"

"Because cushy pillows are going to take the edge off of the unendurable pain?" I smiled, trying to joke.

It didn't work. He flinched at my words, worry in his eyes. "Edward," I continued quickly, "I'm fine. I'm comfortable."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." I breathed.

I glanced around the room, taking in my surroundings one last time with my human eyes. I noticed that the rest of the Cullen family had come to stand at the door, watching over me. I smiled at them gratefully.

"They're here to..." Edward trailed off.

"I trust you," I whispered. They were here to make sure that he didn't kill me. Alice smiled at me reassuringly.

Everything would be fine.

Edward lowered himself onto the bed, leaning over me. I gazed into his eyes. They were smoldering, a liquid topaz. I felt a thrill go through me. His breath was intoxicatingly luscious as he touched his lips to mine. He pulled back, slowly, "Are you sure?"

I smiled softly, "I'm sure."

I was.

He lowered his lips to my neck.

And life began again.

---

**So, what did you think? I think that ties up most of the loose ends. The next chapter will involve her change, through Edward's eyes.**

** I'm so glad all of you are still enjoying the story! So, I have a question... No wait, a poll.**

**POLL: Do you want a sequel? **

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	29. Changing

**Wow! Up to 2278 reviews - amazing:) I'm glad everyone is happier, or at least a little happier. **

**So, Edward has finally agreed to change Bella. How will the change turn out? Here it is! Chapter 28! Enjoy!**

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Edward

"When?" I whispered, trying my best to delay the inevitable. Even still, after my decision, I still feared that I would damn her soul. My precious Bella. My one love feeding like a vampire, a slave to her thirst for the rest of her eternity. How could I do this to her? How could I damn her?

"Now," her voice was resolute. I frowned, my speed gradually slowing to a crawl as we neared the house. She noticed, of course. "As soon as you get us to the house," her eyes narrowed, "Are you driving slow on purpose?"

I released a heavy sigh, "Yes." Would she always see through me? I pressed harder on the pedal, increasing our speed to her damnation.

It was happening so quickly. Was it really only yesterday that I had agreed to turn Bella into a monster? She feared the fact that I would change my mind – which she had good reason for. I couldn't forgive myself, I wouldn't forgive myself, for this. I was assuring her refusal to the heavens. I was keeping her from Allie for an eternity. But, as I had told her once so long ago, I am a selfish creature. As much as I long to save her soul, I long to damn her as mine even more.

I was in front of the house, pulling to a stop. It was so quick. So quickly would I be dooming her to this existence. Even still, I moved swiftly. As soon as the car rolled to a stop, I moved from my seat and stood opening her door for her a moment later.

She stared at me with wide, beautiful chocolate brown eyes and my heart ached. It would be the last day that I could look into those beautiful eyes. In three days they would be a harsh blood red. In a few years, gold. But never, ever again... would they be the brown I had fallen in love with.

It pained me to think of that fact. That simple fact. Her skin would no longer be warm and soft, fragile against my touch. Her eyes would no longer be brown. Her beautiful heartbeat, which I was so undeniably attuned to now that I could pick it out from a mile away, would be gone forever. I would miss it all so much.

But she would still be Bella.

My Bella.

Even after all her frailties had disappeared... after her adorable clumsiness had subsided into the graceful nature of the vampire... she would still be my darling Bella. In the end, that was all that mattered. She would be my angel, here on Earth, with me to the end of our days – if that ever came.

I bent down, pulling her warm body into my arms and reveling in the feel of her soft skin. I held her recklessly close to my chest, breathing in her scent that no longer tempted me in the same primal way. I turned on my heel and carried her slowly up the stairs. I could hear my family's thoughts echoing in my mind.

_Edward, I can see that you're going to change her,_ Alice's thoughts were cheerful, _I've already told the others! Jasper's going to be coming back home to us soon, too! I told him that... well, everyone seems to be getting better... I think it would be okay..._

I knew Bella's pain was still deep, but I hoped that Jasper would be able to handle it to stay with Alice. She had missed him so much and her thoughts of him were beginning to tire and, sometimes, disturb me. Some of the images she conjured were not ones I would like to see.

_Edward, I'm so happy you've decided to welcome her to our family. _Esme's thoughts were warm and happy. She was finally getting another daughter and her joy of that fact was not easily disguised.

_We'll be there for you, Edward, _Carlisle assured me, _We'll be in the room, just in case..._

I flinched at the idea. I knew precisely what he meant and I prayed that their help would not be necessary. Bella's scent was more pleasant and reassuring to me now more than delicious, but I still could not deny that the monster in me still had a strong pull toward her blood. I could only hope that I could hold back the ravenous beast the moment my teeth pierce her skin.

I set her down on the bed and began rearranging the bed. I scooted the pillows around her, trying my best to straighten the sheets out so that there was no uncomfortable twists of fabric underneath her. She watched me with curious eyes as I continued to work. I glanced up to her, worry in my eyes, "Are you comfortable?"

"Because cushy pillows are going to take the edge off of the unendurable pain?" she said with a smile. Her voice was joking, but it didn't work.

I flinched, my eyes turning their gaze to the bed as I continued, futilely, to make her as comfortable as possible. After seeing the pain we caused in Mike only weeks ago, I could hardly find it in me to put her through the same pain. I was certain that the moment she screamed, I would try to suck the venom back out of her. How could I put her through so much pain?

Because it was what she wanted.

"Edward," she whispered. I looked up at her once again. "I'm fine," she assured me, "I'm comfortable."

I let out a rush of air, "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she continued, her voice still soft.

I watched her with doubt in my eyes, still trying to find the strength in me to go back on my agreement with her. I couldn't put her through all that pain, could I? Her eyes traveled the length of the room slowly, as though she were taking in her last looks of everything. Her gaze finally stopped upon my family, our family, standing in the doorway.

"They're here to..." Make sure I don't kill you. I couldn't finish the words.

"I trust you," her response was automatic and certain.

_Edward, you'll do fine. _Alice thought to me, _You'll barely taste her. You'll bite her and pull away. Although, I would suggest you bite her more than once... it'll be faster that way. Once on the neck and then both wrists. Don't worry, it'll be fine._

I smiled gratefully at Alice.

Turning back to Bella, I leaned over her and enjoyed her warmth one last time. I stared into her eyes, searching the depths of the brown I had come to love. I leaned forward and pressed my lips softly to her own.

Thus with a kiss...

"Are you sure?"

She smiled an almost exasperated smile, "I'm sure."

I watched her beauty for one last moment... one brief moment. Too brief. It was all going so quickly now.

I lowered my lips to her neck, finding her pulse easily beneath my lips. The monster in me lurched once, but I could hardly notice it now. I could not kill Bella. I could never kill Bella. I would never kill Bella.

My teeth glistened with venom, slipping all too easily past her frail skin and into her neck. I paused, waiting long enough to know that I had left enough venom in her system to be efficient. I tried my best to ignore her blood, still tempting upon my lips. I pulled myself back before I could swallow too much of the intoxicating liquid.

"Her wrists, Edward," Alice reminded me.

I nodded, taking her delicate hands in my own. I leaned down, hastily injecting my venom into her wrists before tearing myself away once again. I fell off the bed and to the floor, all the air leaving my body. I wanted so badly to drink more than two mouthfuls, which was all I had received, but I could not... I would never... harm her.

Her deafening shriek filled the room with that thought.

"Bella," I breathed, my voice rough with the lack of air, even though I had no need for it.

"Edward!" she shrieked, her head falling back and pressing hard against the bed. Her back arched and her limbs thrashed. "It burns!"

I stared at her with wide eyes, trying to will myself off the floor. I couldn't bear to see her in pain. I longer, so desperately, to stop it now. I stood quickly and felt a hand latch onto my wrist. I turned swiftly, staring at Alice. "It's too much," I explained, "I can't hurt her like this. Mike, fine, but I can't hurt Bella like this."

"I know, Edward," Alice's voice was remorseful, "That's why I had you bite her wrists, as well. You can't suck the venom out now. There's too much in her system."

"Why would you -"

"Because," she cut in quickly, "She wants this. You want this. We all do, you know that. I also know that you are very easily deterred by her pain."

"It's for the best, Edward," Carlisle spoke with a sad smile. "She's in pain now, but it will pass in time. It passed for all of us. The extra bites will hopefully speed up the process."

Although I could feel the anger burning through me, I could say nothing that would be justified. They were right. Bella wanted this... I wanted this... Even if I had successfully pulled the venom back out of her system, Bella would have asked me to change her yet again. It would be a torturous process, now or then, and delaying it would help no one.

"Edward!" My anger disintegrated with Bella's cry and I ran to her side. Alice released me willingly. I pulled Bella into my arms, her body still thrashing from the waves of pain that were descending upon her.

"The change will take two days," Alice chirped, "That's shorter than any of us!"

I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Bella would at least not suffer as long as any of us. I leaned my back against the wall, holding her close to me. I held her arms back, fearful that she might injure herself with her flailing limbs. I closed my eyes and pressed my lips softly into her hair.

"It's all right, Bella," I whispered reassuringly. "I know it hurts. It'll be over soon, Bella... It'll all be over..."

I barely noticed when my family had left the room, sending their goodbyes only in their thoughts. I could hardly hear them over Bella's screams, nor would I want to. Nothing concerned me more right now than Bella and her pain, longing to end it. It was like the mental torture caused to her over the years had been forced to surface itself into physical pain.

I hated Mike for tearing her life apart. I hated him for ever existing. And yet, I hated myself more.

How could I have left my angel? I had seen the pain of her earlier days through Charlie's mind. I had been silent in my pain of the realization, but Charlie had been unable to think of anything except for Bella's tortured face when he had first seen me. She had laid on their old couch, her face covered in tears and dirt from the forest floor. The pain in her eyes was unlike any pain I had ever seen. It didn't even compare to the pain I saw in her eyes now.

The pain in her eyes now was purely physical, caused by the fires of our hellish venom. The pain I had caused her when I left was so much more. Her soul had been pained, hurt so much that it practically leaked from her eyes with her tears. No matter how long I existed, I would never be able to atone for what I had done to Bella.

I could only hope that I could make her happy.

---

Alice was right, although that came as no surprise. Bella had woken from her pain in only two days.

"They're so red," Bella whispered, standing in front of the full length mirror Alice had prepared for her. I stood behind her, my arms wrapped around her waist. I held her closer than I ever could in her human life and I was shocked with how amazing it felt.

"They'll be like that for a year," I mumbled against her neck, sending kisses along her hardened skin. I missed the warmth, but the benefits gained in its absence were certainly worth the sacrifice. "It's all your human blood. It will work out of your system, eventually."

She stared at me through the mirror, her hand moving to hold both of mine, which were resting against her stomach. "Thank you, Edward."

"What for?" I whispered, my lips turned their attention to her jawline. She shivered against me and I could feel the wicked grin creeping across my lips.

"Changing me," a sad smile touched her lips.

"Is it what you wanted?" I pulled my lips from her skin, my voice softer now. I feared, from the sadness in her face, that she felt she had made the wrong choice.

"Yes, it is," she turned to face me. Her red eyes were still a shock next to the warm brown I had become so used to, but they were exotically beautiful in their own way. "I miss her so much... and I know that I'll never be able to see her again... but this is what I want, Edward."

She wrapped her arms about my waist and pulled me close. I winced slightly and she smiled in embarrassment. No blush. I would miss that. "Sorry," she mumbled, "I'm not used to my strength yet."

"That, too, will come in time," I chuckled.

"Do you think she's happy?" her eyes shined with her sadness.

"Very," I whispered reassuringly. How could she not be? Allie was the sweetest child I had ever met... she deserved nothing but happiness. "She's at peace now. She's happy."

"You know what?" Bella spoke, her voice soft. She leaned closer to me, edging towards my lips.

"What?" I breathed, lowering my head, my lips hovering above hers.

"I'm happy, too."

My lips touched hers.

We were healing.

---

**I think that was a very sweet chapter. What did you think? A little fluffy?**

**The next chapter is the last chapter for Healing Her Wounds. I had a very positive response (and that's an understatement) to the idea of a sequel. I have a lot of ideas in mind for the sequel and I'll post more about when you can expect to see it after I post the last chapter. :)**

** So, what did you think? Leave a cookie and let me know!**


	30. Epilogue: Healing

**I'm really, really busy, so I haven't been able to reply to any of the reviews yet. Don't worry, though, I will! I wanted to get this chapter online first, though.**

**This chapter takes place four months after Bella's been changed. It shows what her life is like now, after some time has passed. Here it is! Chapter 29! Enjoy!**

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Bella

"Mommy!" Allie squealed happily from her place on the couch. I closed the door behind me, smiling softly at my angel.

"Hey, Allie-baby," I whispered, kneeling down as she ran toward me, a bright smile plastered across her face. "How are you feeling? Did you have a good day at school?"

She nodded, her little pigtails bouncing with the movement. I had dressed up her hair that morning, tying little blue ribbons around the long brown pigtails. She had been excited to show all of her friends her new hairstyle and raced off to school early. "Yes! Jamie Bree loved my hair! She said she's going to wear her hair like that tomorrow."

I laughed, tugging playfully on one of the ponytails. Allie made a face, scrunching up her nose, "But Mike Gernur said that pigtails were for pigs."

"Oh, that wasn't very nice," I mimicked her face as I scooped her up into my arms and stood up. "Did you tell him that he's a pig, so he should know?"

Allie stared at me with wide eyes before falling into a fit of giggles. I laughed along with her, carrying her into the kitchen. She squirmed around in my arms to face me better, "No!" she giggled, "But he is!"

"Well, tell him next time," I continued, holding her securely with one arm. I pulled open the fridge with my free hand, searching for the proper ingredients to use for dinner. "Do you want hamburgers?"

She made another face, "Can we have pasta?"

"Sure," I smiled, grabbing the bottle of sauce and setting it out on the counter. I closed the fridge by pushing it with my elbow, still supporting Allie with one arm.

I walked over to the cupboard, fishing around in its contents in search of Allie's favorite pasta. I grabbed the rotini and set it out on the counter next to the sauce.

"Mommy, I love you," Allie placed a kiss on my cheek. I grinned, chuckling to myself. I knew she was reminding me of her presence, as if I could forget when she was latched onto my arm.

"I love you, too, Allie," I said, purposely placing a wet kiss on her cheek. She whined, wiping at the wetness.

"Mommy..." she frowned, squirming around in my arms again. I lowered her to the ground, laughing still. Suddenly, I heard movement upstairs. Heavy footsteps.

"What was that?" I wondered, my eyes turning from the ceiling to Allie.

"Mommy, that's..." her mouth moved over the word, but I couldn't catch the sound.

"Allie, I can't hear you."

"It's..." again, her mouth moved over some word I couldn't decipher. No sound left her lips.

I fell to my knees, the cold ground that would have chilled me months ago doing nothing to my durable skin. My head lowered, pressing against the coolness of Allie's tombstone. Edward stood beside me, his hand on my shoulder, "You saw her again?"

I nodded weakly, a small smile pulling on my lips.

It had been four months since Edward had agreed to change me. Four months since I had been reborn a vampire. My ability had shown itself within the first few days of my newborn life. The visions started uncontrollably at first, sucking me into every memory that I had. I had struggled for weeks on end to learn to control my power.

I had the power over memories. Carlisle assumed that, because I had held on so desperately to my memories of Edward that I was even able, at times, to create new ones, that I had gained power over memories entirely. It had been hard at first, but with control, it proved to be powerful and useful.

I had the ability to experience any memory that I chose, whether it was mine or not. I was also capable of allowing, or forcing, people to see memories of their own. That had all been quiet impressive in itself, but with practice I learned that it was not the only thing that I could do. I could also implant memories, as well as erase them.

I had discovered this through my own pain one night. After experiencing, against my will, Allie's death at Mike's hands through Edward's memory, I cursed the very thought of Mike. I swore that I hated him to my very core. I wished, screamed, prayed that I could forget him and all of the horrible things that he had done to me.

And then he disappeared.

No matter what memory of my own that I entered into, I could not find Mike. I could hear the noises that he would make in the background, such as walking upstairs or closing a door, but I never saw Mike again. All his harsh words, all the pain, had been erased from my mind. The only way I could see him again was through the memories of others, which I chose not to erase.

I only knew Mike's name and the things he had done through what Edward told me. After hearing all the horrible things he had done, I was positive that I never wanted to remember him. I was happy that he was gone from me forever. The pain he had left with him was remembered only in Allie.

My thoughts of Allie were happy, free of pain. It had hurt to see her through my memories at first, but with time and my ability to control those memories, I no longer felt pain as seeing my sweet angel. I began to realize my ability to implant memories through my memories of her.

I conversed with one of my memories, different from the actual conversation, and a new memory appeared. I was able to talk to Allie, imagining her reactions and answers to my questions. At first, I started to lose myself in this ability, longing to spend more time with Allie. But my desperation to be with Edward was so much stronger.

I rarely used that ability now.

As much as I had cursed my ability in the beginning, I was thankful for it now. It allowed me to say goodbye many times. It helped ease the pain of her disappearance from my life, because I could see her whenever I desired. I was able to move on and begin to heal. I could accept her departure from my life. Now I only entered the memories of her when my mind was compelled by thoughts of her.

Such as now, when we had decided to visit her tombstone.

"Are you all right?" Edward whispered. He was holding me now, pulling me up into his arms. I leaned against him willingly, the smile from before still playing on my lips.

"Yes, I'm fine now," I whispered. I turned to him, watching his eyes. They were still pained, even after five months had passed. Still, like me, I knew he was healing. "I'm ready."

"You're sure?" he asked. He had been asking that a lot, ever since he had changed me. I couldn't help but laugh at the question now.

"Yes, Edward, I'm sure."

I took his hand in mine, kneeling down in front of Allie's tombstone. I placed my lips upon it, kissing the little angel engraved in the stone. "I miss you, baby," I whispered, standing up, "We'll come to see you again soon."

We walked away in silence to Edward's silver Volvo.

---

"How are you feeling, dear?" Esme greeted me at the door.

"I'm better," I answered, pulled into her now warm embrace. It was so odd to remember their skin so cold and hard. They felt warm and soft to me, just as Renee had when she hugged me during my human existence.

"Edward, are you going to-" Alice chirped, bounding gracefully down the stairs. She stopped at the bottom step, her mouth caught on the word when her eyes met mine. She grinned sheepishly, turning to Edward swiftly, "Go hunting today?"

"No," Edward spoke, his voice strained. My brow furrowed in confusion. "Not today, Alice. We just fed a few days ago."

"I know," she continued, "But Bella does need to feed more. She's a newborn."

"Edward took me hunting yesterday, though..." I spoke slowly, wondering what she was trying to cover up and why. Edward and her exchanged a quick glance that I would have missed four months ago.

"Oh well!" Alice chirped before I could question her any further. She danced back up the stairs and a moment later, I heard the door to her room close.

"Calm them down," I heard Alice whisper to Jasper, marveling still at how much I could hear with a vampire's ears.

A wave of calm settled upon us and I heard Edward chuckle softly. I turned to face him, my mouth open and ready to demand an explanation. His face was in front of mine when I turned, his eyes scorching. I felt the breath that I didn't need stop in my throat. I had no idea why he could still dazzle me the way he did. If I had a heart, it would be hammering against my chest.

His breath was warm, inviting... "Let's go upstairs, shall we?"

All I could do was nod.

Chuckling, he wrapped an arm about my waist and led me up the staircase. After a few moments, my mind began to clear and once again I began to wonder what it was that Alice had been about to say.

He scooped me up into his arms the moment we opened the door. He kicked the door closed behind him, carrying me to our bed. He set me down on the golden sheets, hovering over my body, his lips mere inches from my own. I leaned forward to brush my lips against his, but he leaned back. Frowning, I tried again, but he dodged me easily.

"What are you doing, Edward?" I spoke, a frown in my voice.

"Teasing you," he breathed. His scent still made my head whirl. "Is it working?"

"Doesn't it always?" I whispered, edging myself closer. I tried my best to stare at him seductively and I could see his resolve falter briefly in his eyes.

"I have something I want to ask you, first..." he continued in a soft whisper. His lips moved against mine as he spoke and I attempted to lean closer. He leaned back, a smile still playing on his lips.

"Ask me."

"Well, first I need you to do something for me," he began, his smile crooked now.

"What's that?" my brow furrowed in confusion and frustration. I wanted him now. He moved off of me.

"Stand up."

I perked a brow. That's easy enough... I scooted off the bed and stood in front of him. I opened my arms, waiting, "Now what?"

"Well, now I kneel..." he whispered, his words soft and warm. He lowered himself to one knee and I felt as though my dead heart would start beating once again. His one hand dipped into the pocket of his jacket, his other hand held out expectantly. I stared at him blankly and he chuckled once again, "I'm going to need your hand, love."

I put my hand in his, his thumb brushing gently against my skin. I felt a thrill run through my body. He pulled a small velvet box from his pocket, snapping it open with one flick of his fingers. Inside, nestled in the black velvet, was the most elegant ring I had ever seen. The diamond was a long oval, adorned with slanting rows of small shimmering stones. The band was a delicate gold, creating a fragile web around the diamonds.

"Edward?" I breathed.

"Bella," he began, a smile still on his lips, "There is nothing in this world that has meant more to me than you do. There will never be anything that even comes close. If I live a thousand years, I will never be able to show you how much you mean to me. I promise to love you forever, my Bella. Everyday of forever."

I couldn't breathe. It was a lucky thing that I didn't need to.

"Bella Swan," he whispered, taking the ring from the box. He held it in front of my finger, his eyes never leaving mine, "Will you be my wife?"

My heart, if it could, would have skipped a beat. The smile that was stretching across my lips was almost painful. If I had the ability to create tears, they would have welled up in my eyes. I nodded my head, slowly, "Yes, Edward."

He slipped the delicate ring onto my finger, his smile growing, "A perfect fit."

"Where did you..."

"It was my mother's," he explained, his eyes never leaving my hand. His face glowed with pride.

"You like that, don't you?"

"There aren't words to describe how much," he breathed. He stood then, my hand still in his, his other arm wrapping about my waist. He pulled me close, his lips hovering over mine once again.

"Are you going to tease me again?" I grinned.

"Do you want me to?" he murmured against my lips. I shook my head quickly and he chuckled softly in response. His lips captured mine in a deep kiss, all the emotions poured from his lips to mine. We fell backward, onto the bed, never parting.

My life had changed so drastically from the day I moved to Forks. There was so much happiness and just the same, there was so much sadness. The sadness of the past had closed its chapter in my life and I could feel the scars left beginning to heal. The happiness was still here in my arms, his lips on mine.

Edward meant the world to me. Edward was, is and always will be my world. Through everything that will happen in my life, I know that he'll be at my side. I know that he'll always be there to hold me up. He'll always be there to protect me. He'll always be there to love me.

He'll always be there... to heal my wounds.

---

**That's the final chapter. **

**I'll be updating soon to discuss the sequel. **

**What do you think should happen in the sequel? Any ideas? Anything you'd want to happen?**

** Leave a review and let me know what you though of the story! Cookies!  
**


	31. Author's Note and Sequel Info

Would you believe me if I told you I have been unbelievably busy?

Well, yes. I have been. I have been very, very busy. So busy, in fact, that I still need to reply to many of the reviews on the last chapter. v.v;

I'm so glad that you all enjoyed "Healing Her Wounds" so much and yes, I am planning a sequel! In fact, the first chapter is completed... although I'm hesitant on releasing it. Here's why:

I have been busy, as stated. It's not going to be clearing up anytime soon, by the looks of it. I have had chances here and there to write and I am trying to keep up with the story, but it has been months and I have only one chapter out. If I release the newest chapter, I'm not certain when I will be able to update with the next chapter. It won't be like "Healing Her Wounds," where I updated every day. I'm so busy that you may get an update every month... every two weeks, if you're lucky.

So, I've decided to put it to a vote. Your choices:

Wait to release the sequel until more chapters have been completed and I have more time to update regularly.

Release the first chapter now and go at my own pace, putting out a new chapter whenever I get the chance. It may take a while.

So, what would you prefer? Your input is greatly appreciated! Simply, choice 1 or choice 2.

For those of you interested in the sequel, the title has been decided. It will be called, "Forget Me Not." I want the majority of the plot to be a surprise, as it was in "Healing Her Wounds." I can tell you things that are obvious/have already been stated.

Bella is a vampire, living with the Cullens. Obvious, though, right?

I'm sorry to disappoint you, but there are no plans for Allie's return. If it changes, I won't tell you because it would be a great surprise, but there are really no plans for her return.

Victoria will appear in "Forget Me Not."

There will be some original characters appearing.

Everything else is fairly up in the air, or being saved as surprises.

Anyway... please vote. I will update with my decision in a week.


	32. Author's Note and Sequel Release Date

Author's Note:

Well, I suppose by now all of you know that I went with the option to hold off on the sequel for now. I would have posted that, but I felt wrong moving the story up in the list for a mere author's note when there are so many good fanfics that should remain up on the list.

That being said, I am leaving an author's note now to tell you that the wait is nearly over (so that no one plots to come find and harm me if I do not update soon). I have finals next week, but I do have the first chapter done and I plan to finish another one very soon. So... want to know the release date?

I will be posting the sequel to "Healing Her Wounds" on Saturday, May 10th. The sequel will be called "Forget Me Not" and there are reasons for that title which I will not state. You can check my profile after May 10th for the link. I will probably not post the actual link in this story (or at least I won't until there's two or three chapters up).

It will not be an everyday update kind of deal, as it was with "Healing Her Wounds," which was planned and pretty much written when I began posting the story. I will update weekly (maybe sooner, maybe later), all depending on what's going on in my life at the time. Hopefully the updates will stay pretty constant. If (this is only a possibility) I write many chapters at a fast pace, then I will begin to update sooner than a week. We'll see.

So, that being said, hopefully you're not all mad at me for the severe lack of any updates. I can breathe now, though, for the most part... and that hopefully means I'll be writing more. I hope you'll all take a look at "Forget Me Not" on May 10th and let me know what you think.

Until then.


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